高中英语新闻报道阅读阅读理解

The Kingdome in Seattle was destroyed on March 26，2000．It was taken down to make room for a new stadium．The blast(爆破)from the failing building caused the earth to shake as if an earthquake had happened．

Scientists placed more than 200 earthquake recorders in the earth to measure the movement．They found which parts of the
city shook the most．This information helped them know which parts of the city would be damaged in a real earthquake at an early time．
A real earthquake happened on February 28, 2001 in Seattle．The Nisqually earthquake was 6.8 on the Richter scale(里氏6.8级)．It damaged the same parts of Seattle that scientists had predicted from the pulling down of the Kingdome．It was a plate quake．It started deep in the earth, 37 miles below the surface on the Juan de Fuca Plate．Sometimes，huge plates under the earth cause earthquakes when the plates move against each other suddenly．
Scientists have learned that deep earthquakes have very few aftershocks(余震)．The Nisqually earthquake had only 4 ones．Another earthquake in California that was close to the surface had over 120 aftershocks．Scientists do not know why the deep earthquakes have fewer aftershocks．
Scientists plan to blast in the ground near Seattle with the purpose of testing the plate．The shockwaves from the blast will jump off the plate and give them all idea of where the plate is and how it is moving．This will give them more information in case another real earthquake hits the area．
56．Why were the scientists interested in the pulling down of the Seattle Kingdome?
A．To predict what might happen in a real earthquake．
B．To see which areas near the Kingdome would shake the hardest．
C．To measure the movement of the Earth with earthquake recorders．
D．All of the above．
57．What will happen after a deep earthquake according to the scientists?
A．There will be little damage．       
B．There will be many aftershocks．
C．There will be very few aftershocks． 
D．The Richter scale of the quakes will be 6.8 or more．
58．According to the passage，      have the most aftershocks．
A．deep earthquakes        B．shockwave earthquakes
C．earthquakes close to the surface    D．earthquakes more than 6.8 Richter scale
59．By studying the blast in the ground near Seattle, scientists hope to        
A．destroy the Kingdome
B．learn where the plate is and how it is moving
C．find out how many plates there are in the ground there
D．know which places are likely to have the most damage            

Facebook is now used by 30 million people in the UK，about half the population．
Joanna Shields，vice president of Facebook Europe，made the announcement this morning at a media conference in London．
She said: "We can announce today that we have reached 30 million in the UK，which we are really excited about．"
Globally，Facebook has more than 500 million registered users，a milestone it hit last summer．Last July，it also revealed that it had 26 million registered UK users．In the last eight months，it has attracted four million extra UK users，bringing the UK total to 30 million，while in January 2009，Facebook had only 150 million registered users．
Last year，Zuckerberg，Facebook's founder，said it was "almost a guarantee" that the site would hit one billion users．He explained: "If we succeed in innovating，there is a good chance of bringing this to a billion people．．．it will be interesting to see how it comes true．"
One third of women aged 18 to 34 check Facebook when they first wake up，before even going to the toilet，according to research．Twenty-one per cent of women aged between 18 to 34 check Facebook in the middle of the night，while 42 per cent of the same group think it is fine to post drunken photos of themselves onto the social network，a study by Oxygen Media found．
Shields was speaking this morning at the Financial Times Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference about the power Facebook's referrals can bring to media sites，such as newspapers and TV services．
She explained that the average Facebook user has 130 friends who they share links to media sites with on a regular basis．"Media companies which take advantage of that are really seeing the benefits"，Shields said．
Shields refused to say whether Facebook would develop its own mobile phone operating system and also said it was "silly" that Google had recently disabled the feature（特点）which allowed Google users to sync their contacts with Facebook friends．
【改编】From the passage we know that          ．

A．Facebook would develop its own mobile phone operating system

B．Google didn't allow its users to sync their contacts with Facebook friends

C．Shields refused to admit the power Facebook's referrals could bring

D．Google was always silly

【改编】from the passage,we can know the population in UK. is about___.

A． 30 million	B．60 million
C．70 million	D．20 million

【改编】What kind of people are more interested in Facebook according to the passage?

A．young people	B．middle-aged people
C．all people	D．children

Tailors English Language Preparation 2010
Taylorscollege. edu. au/ telp
If you need additional help to gain the high level of English language necessary for academic study, Taylors English Language Preparation (TELP)is the perfect solution. Throughout your TELP studies you will be an active language learner. You will be surrounded by opportunities to communicate in English, with friends, teachers, families and local people. You will gain English language skills which you will keep for life.
English: the language of Taylors College
Strong English language skills are necessary for success in your chosen Taylors program. The TELP program, delivered in 12 week terms, is specifically designed to provide language training for academic study. Our teachers are fully trained English Language Teaching professionals, who will assist you in a caring and supportive classroom atmosphere.
TELP focuses on:
·Language studies   ·Formal writing styles
·Note taking     ·Assignment writing
·Intensive listening  ·Reading
Progressing to our High School or Foundation Programs
Upon completion of TELP, you do not take an IELTS test before you begin our High School or Foundatin programs.
TELP term dates
Students are encouraged to enroll（注册）at the start of a term; however, TELP courses allow for entry every four weeks.
2010 dates
·18 January –9 April          ·12 April –2 July
·5 July-24 September       ·27 September-17 December
2010 Summer School
·20 December-14 January 2011
60．The TELP program         .
A．is popular and thought highly of by students
B．is aimed at those who have passed an IELTS test
C．makes sure students have a communicative atmosphere
D．makes sure students learn the English language for four months
61．It can be inferred from the text that       .
A．TELP courses permits students to have lessons at any time
B．start date of the first term in 2011 is probably January 17th
C．students who study from 20th December to 14th January have cold weather
D．High School and Foundation programs at Taylors college have no entry requirements
62．What information will probably be provided following TELP term dates?
A．TELP fees            B．TELP descriptions     
C．TELP courses               D．TELP term dates in 2011

Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him,
safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.
How many homes altogether (总共) were damaged in the storm?

A．Fourteen	B．Twenty-one
C．Twenty-nine	D．Thirty-six

Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?

A．He was in bed.	B．He was inside the house.
C．He was outside the house.	D．He was on the roof.

Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________.

A．her husband knew there would be a storm

B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C．she felt the house was moving

D．the welfare department helped her

The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.

A．something to eat	B．something to wear
C．somewhere to study	D．somewhere to stay

Which of he following may be the best title for this passage?

A．A Terrible Storm	B．A Lucky Woman
C．Good Soldiers	D．Clever People

Beijing: The highly anticipated Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway will begin operation next year, and is expected to cut travel time to four hours, railway officials said.
The high-speed railway between China's two most important metropolises was scheduled to open in 2012 but will now open one year ahead of time, said Zheng Jian, chief planner with the Ministry of Railways.
Wang Zhiguo, vice-minister of railways, said that it would be a four-hour journey from Beijing to Shanghai, and only three hours from Beijing to Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province.
At present, it takes about 10 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai and Nanjing by train. A new-generation bullet train that will travel up to 380 kilometers per hour (kph) is now under development for the high-speed rail link.
It will be rigorously tested this year, and engineers want the train to run at a top speed of 420 kph to guarantee a safe operational speed of 380 kph, Huang Qiang, chief researcher with the China Academy of Railway Sciences told the Beijing News.
Vice-Minister Wang Zhiguo said it was expected that high-speed trains would one day take passengers from Beijing to most capital cities within eight hours, except for Haikou, Urumqi, Lhasa and Taipei.
It is expected that an 110,000-km railway network will be completed by 2012, including 13,000 km of high-speed rail, he said.
China already has 6,552 km of rail track in operation --- the longest amount of high-speed rail track in the world.
At present, at least 10,000 km of high-speed rail line is under construction in China. About 3,676 km of new track for running trains at speeds up to 350 kph have already been laid and put into operation. Another 2,876 km of old tracks have been upgraded to run trains of 200 to 250 kph. .
Ultimately, China plans to construct a 120,000-km railway network, including 50,000-km of high-speed rail track, by 2020.
The Ministry of Railways wants to export China's high-speed railway technology to North America, Europe and Latin America.
Wang said, “State-owned Chinese companies are already building high-speed lines in Turkey and Venezuela. Many countries, including the United States, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, have also expressed interest.”
56.When will the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway come into use?
A. In 2012.                   B. In 2013.                   C. In 2011.           D. In 2010
57. How much time will a passenger save by train from Beijing to Shanghai after the high-speed railway is open? 
A. 4 hours.                          B. 6 hours.                   C. 10 hours.          D. 3 hours.
58. Which of the following countries owns the longest railway in the world ?
A. China.                            B. America.                 C. Canada.            D. Russia.
59. Which city, in the opinion of vice-minister Wang Zhiguo, can passengers from Beijing reach  in high-speed trains within 8 hours ?
A. Haikou.                          B. Urumqi.                   C. Lhasa .             D. Changsha.
60. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A. The Ministry of Railways wants to increase GDP by exporting railway technology.
B. China’s railway technology is superior to that of many other countries.
C. Countries in North America have already imported the railway technology of China.
D. The United States also wants to build high-speed railways in Turkey and Venezuela.

Many of you may wonder what else to do besides watching TV or surfing the Internet on weekends．Why not have a picnic? Junior 2 students at Beijing No．4 Middle Schoo1 had a “King of cooking” competition·
Earlier this month，about 300 students at the schoo1 went to a suburb(郊区)of Beijing to have the contest．They were divided into 24  groups．Each group had buyers，slicers  (掌刀)，firemakers．washers and cooks．
Firemakers faced the most problems during the time．Some of them had no idea how to keep fire burning． “The fire kept going out．we had to blow at the sparks(火星)and put on corn leaves and old newspapers，”said Wu Mofei，13．
“It took us an hour to make the fire．Our eyes had tears from all the smoke and our faces became dirty，”he added．   
When the fires were finally made，the cooks became the busiest people．Huang Lanye made fried celery(芹菜)and ham pickled cabbage(泡菜)and tomato soup．
She was proud of her work．“It’s my first time making Chinese dishes．My group members ate them up in minutes and said they were as delicious as what their parents made!” said the 14-year-old girl．
Finally over ten students were titled “King of Cooking”．Wang Xiaoyue，14，was one of them．“My group got a mark of 98 at the competition，’’Wang said．“We have 1earned a lot while
having so much fun! We are the best!”
Beijing No．4 Middle School has been organizing similar(类似的)fun activities for six years．“we want to give students a chance to get real life experiences and 1earn how to work as a team，’’said Jia Dong，who works for the school’s student affairs office．
The text mainly tells us——．

A．a “King of Cooking” competition organized by Senior 2 students at Beijing No．4 Middle School

B．a picnic organized by Junior 2 students at Beijing N0．4 Middle School

C．a “King of Cooking” competition organized by Junior 2 students at Beijing No．4 Middle School

D．after-school activities of students at Beijing No.4 Middlle School

Which of the following was not the problem some firemakers met?

A．They didn’t know how to keep fire burning．

B．They spent a long time in making a fire．

C．The fire kept going out．

D．They didn’t have enough corn leaves and old newspapers．

We can infer that Huang Lanye was a ___in their group

A．buyer

B．firemaker

C．washer

D．cook

According to the passage，we can know____．

A．only ten students were titled “King of Cooking” in this competition

B．the “King of Cooking” competition has been held once every year in the past six years

C．Wang Xiaoyue was titled a “King of Cooking” in this competition

D．Beijing No．4 Middle School has been encouraging students to take part in all kinds of competitions

第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题; 每小题2分,满分40分）
Around six weeks ago, Kaileen came running into the house, just getting off the bus from school. She was all excited about a story about homeless pets because of Hurricane (飓风) Katrina and all that was going on to help them. She said that this information came from her animal newspaper (your KIND News). Kaileen has a great love and compassion (同情心) for animals, so her excitement did not surprise me. Her next ideas, however, did. She said that we should go around right then to our neighbors and collect all their change to send to the animal shelters (保护所).
I thought this was a school project, but in fact, it was not. This was what Kaileen wanted to do on her own! Well, it warmed me all over. To see your child so willing to help others just lets you feel that maybe you had done something right in raising (养育) her.
Anyway, I told her to make a card and send it out to our neighbors first. With the help of her older brother, Kaileen soon made a lovely card that asked our neighbors to help these pets by giving their spare change. She gave them a few days and a date she would come by to pick up any donations (捐赠). 
Well, I had to go out and buy a donation box. Kaileen collected $279.50!!! I just thought you would like to know how KIND News had touched a little one’s heart and given her the idea to show her compassion for animals. Thank you — we really enjoy your paper.
36. The passage is probably taken from ______. 
A. a report about a warm-hearted girl
B. an advertisement for an animal shelter 
C. a thank-you letter to a newspaper
D. a donation program for homeless pets 
37. What was the author’s feeling about Kaileen’s idea? 
A. Pleased and excited. 
B. Surprised and moved.
C. Tired and sad.                         
D. Worried and angry.
38. From the passage we learn that KIND News ______.
A. collects donations for homeless people 
B. sets up many shelters for homeless animals 
C. tells children how to keep pets healthy 
D. encourages children to help homeless pets 
39. We can infer that the passage is written by Kaileen’s ______.
A. parent          B. teacher         C. brother      D. neighbor

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.

A．twenty-three hundred

B．thirteen hundred

C．over three thousand

D．less than two thousand

The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.

A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B．send students in America to travel in Germany

C．let students learn something about other countries

D．have teenagers learn new languages

Fred and Mike agree that__________.

A．America food tasted better than German food

B．German schools were harder than American schools

C．Americans and Germans were both friendly

D．There were more cars on the streets in America

What is particular in American schools is that________.

A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B．there are a lot of after-school activities

C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:
Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky
I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase (时髦话) is going to be hard to beat.
Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio
I think the merger (合并) will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization (垄断). Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida
It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.
Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.
How many companies are mentioned in the passage?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive.

B．Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future.

C．Rick will support Google after the merger.

D．Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features.

The passage is mainly about ______.

A．the future of Yahoo and Microsoft

B．the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft

C．the strengths and weaknesses of large companies

D．opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft.

Every day  we are bombarded with images, videos, music and news. In this age of  visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a phenomenal  comeback.
“We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," said US-based podcaster Alex  Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15  percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast. These statistics, released by Edison  Research, reveal the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present  day's digital podcast format. The term "podcast," was coined in 2004, but the trend only  started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. Since the leap in consumer  demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast subscription rates have only accelerated.
The appeal of the podcast partially resides in its multiplatform delivery and  on-demand capabilities. You can tune in during those extra minutes of the day when  you're walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content  every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney university media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTunes .”I listen while I'm pottering around the house doing  something else. It makes completing a boring task a lot more enjoyable..... And it's an  easy way of keeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world," she said.
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this comes down to the podcast's ability "to  create intimacy and emotional connection." Sydney University undergraduate Hazel  Proust, major in social work and arts, agrees. "When you're tuned in, it feels as if the voice of the podcast's narrator is talking directly to you. It's comforting," said Proust.
From the passage, we can learn that____.

A．Radio is developing more quickly than mediums with images, videos, music and news.

B．Podcast has its origin in the traditional radio broadcasts.

C．In the last month alone, 15 percent of world adults listened to a radio podcast.

D．Podcast was becoming popular from 2004.

By saying "We're at the dawn of a  golden age of audio," Alex Blumberg wants to
Tell us that ______

A．Traditional radio broadcasts will be loved by people again.

B．Radio has attracted more people than TV and other forms of media .

C．Radio will be more and more popular in the form of podcast.

D．The Sydney Morning Herald will help radio become popular again.

For podcast, which is wrong?

A．You can listen to it at any time and any place.

B．You can download it without pay.

C．You can learn new content every week from it.

D．You can listen to it according to your own demand.

From the last paragraph, we can infer

A．television and music has become less popular .

B．Hazel Proust has different opinions with Blumberg

C．podcast can build up close relationship with listeners

D．using podcast the narrator can talk to listeners directly

Global financial big dogs are no match for China's "Da Ma", or housewives, who have crowded into gold stores across China, buying up 300 tons of gold over the past two weeks. No wonder gold prices have steadied after taking a dive.
During the May Day holiday, gold stores were crowded with mostly female customers. Most of them are middle-aged "Chinese housewives". This group of buyers has risen to fame recently. They are big spenders and are desperate to get their hands on a bargain. "I bought some gold jewellery and kept them as a gift for my son when he gets married," said a buyer from Shanghai. 
The gold business is skyrocketing. "Our sales are growing by the day. Yesterday we sold more than ten million yuan of gold products," a gold store salesperson said. The gold rush in China started about two weeks ago thanks to a decline in global gold prices. Media reports suggest that Chinese housewives have spent about 100 billion yuan, or about 16 billion US dollars, purchasing 300 tons of gold since mid-April. That has helped support gold prices.
"Gold prices depressed since the middle of last month but have risen gradually. That is mainly due to the strong demand from Asian markets," said foreign trader Zhang Chen from Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. "Some people even joked that Chinese housewives have beaten Wall Street analysts." For Chinese people, with limited investment options, the only thing better than buying gold is buying gold at discount prices.
What does the author mean by the underlined sentence of the first paragraph?

A．The global big dogs can’t match with Chinese housewives.

B．China's "Da Ma" help a lot to support the global economic crisis.

C．Chinese housewives spend a great deal of money on gold.

D．Chinese housewives have a better consumption idea than global financial big dogs.

The whole passage mainly developed_______ ?

A．by comparison

B．by contrast

C．by quotation

D．by time order

We can infer about the gold rush in China from the passage?

A．The Chinese housewives are most willing to spend money in buying gold.

B．China's "Da Ma" crowded into stores to get gold as the best gifts for sons when they get married.

C．China's "Da Ma" are bigger spenders and cleverer than global financial big dogs.

D．China’s "Da Ma" become the largest gold buyers due to a decline in global gold prices.

The author’s description about the passage is ______.

A．negative

B．subjective

C．doubtful

D．objective

Worried about how many calories you will get in that piece of pizza, chocolate cake or bag of chips? A new iphone application Mealsnap may help. Users just need to take a picture of the meal with the phone, and it will give a calorie read-out almost immediately.
Mealsnap was developed by DailyBurn, a health social network that focuses on helping its users lead healthier lifestyles. It has created several other health and diet-related iphone applications. The applications gives users a quick reply. To do that, it matches the taken picture to a databank containing the calorie information of nearly 500,000 kinds of food. Users then get the range of calories for the meal that is photographed.
We started with something simple — an apple. A couple of minutes later the application replied that it was an apple and between 64 and 96 calories. More impressive was the reply we received after sending a photo of mixed salad bowl. Mealsnap replied that the bowl contained “yellow rice with corn, boiled eggs and beans” and that the food was between 532 and 798 calories.
Mr. Smith, director of DailyBurn, said that usual calorie counting needed a long time, but that the application made it easier to know the calories in food. That’s why it is so popular among those who are trying hard to lose weight.
In addition, Mealsnap can serve as a food diary. No need to write down what they’ve eaten, the photos will be stored. Then users can keep a visual log (记录). Mr. Smith said: “It’s like a food journal, but easier. All you do is to take the picture. The simple act of recording something can cause a psychological change that can help people on their health journey. Knowing the calorie range makes me think more about what I’m eating.
60. The purpose of DailyBurn is to _______.

A．help people have a healthy life

B．make iphone more popular

C．help people find ways to lose weight

D．persuade people to buy iphone products

61. We can know from the passage that Mealsnap is ________.

A．a camera

B．a phone

C．a calculator

D．an application

62. What can be learned from the third paragraph?

A．Mealsnap can also tell what the food is.

B．Mealsnap is only useful for simple things.

C．The result of Mealsnap isn’t always right.

D．Mealsnap needs a long time to show the calorie range.

63. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Mealsnap iphones work as a health signal

B．Mealsnap iphones offer you a health signal

C．Mealsnap iphones — the best-selling phones

D．Mealsnap iphones count your calories

Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say come home. ' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family, did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his' borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $ 20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear from more families like the Jacobses. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition (学费) continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147% . Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade.
"If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Calan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.
According to Paragraph 1. why did the plan of the Jacobs family fail?

A．The twins wasted too much money.	B．The father was out of work.
C．Their saving ran out.	D．The family fell apart.

How did the Jacobses manage to solve their problem?

A．They asked their kids to come home.

B．They borrowed $20, 000 from the schools.

C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs.

D．They got help from the schools and the federal government.

Financial aid administrators believe that________.

A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobses

B．the government will receive more letters of complaint

C．college tuition fees will double soon

D．America's unemployment will fall

What can we learn about the middle class families from they text?

A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase.

B．Their income increased steady in the last decade.

C．They will try their best to send kids to college.

D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years.

According to the last paragraph the government will________.

A．provide most students with scholarships

B．dismiss some financial aid administrators

C．stop the companies from making student loans

D．go on providing financial support for college students

Tokyo - Drivers in China are no longer in a hurry to own Toyota Motor Corp's cars.
Neil Hu, a sales manager at a Toyota dealership in Beijing, said he has stopped charging a 5,000 yuan ($732) premium to customers who want to skip the waiting list for RAV4 sport- utility vehicles. He took the initiative after the Japanese carmaker recalled 75,552 of the SUVs in China last month to fix gas pedals that may stick.
"I heard the situation in the US is pretty bad for Toyota," Hu said. "The recall has impacted us as well."
Toyota, which grew more slowly than competitors in China in 2009, will likely lose more market share and see a decline in local profit margin this year, analysts say. The carmaker has relied on a reputation for quality and safety to sell high margin, mid- to large-size models even as the world's biggest auto market shifts to cheaper, smaller cars, encouraged by government incentives.
With Toyota's brand damaged by global recalls of millions of vehicles, profit margins for its SUVs and Camry and Crown sedans may shrink, said Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia Ltd, an industry consultant.
"With this recall saga, Toyota's premium pricing power in China is gone," Chotai said. "Toyota's cars don't have enough good value for money."
Toyota has lost $24.5 billion in market capitalization this year as it recalled over 8 million cars globally to fix defects linked to unintended acceleration. The company faces at least 118 class actions in the US and at least 36 individual lawsuits claiming deaths and injuries caused by sudden acceleration of Toyota or Lexus vehicles.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda flew directly to Beijing on March 2 to apologize for the vehicle defects, after attending US Congressional hearings about the recalls in Washington. He skipped Europe's Geneva auto show, underscoring the growing importance of the Chinese market.
Toyota rose for a fifth straight day in Tokyo, advancing 0.9 percent to 3,580 yen as of 9:44 am local time. The carmaker's shares have fallen 7.7 percent this year.
The company's February China sales rose 30 percent to 45,400 vehicles, underperforming the overall passenger-car.
According to the passage, why did Toyota carmaker recall their cars in China last month? _____________

A．Because it faced law suits in the US

B．Because there were problems with the cars.

C．Because of the importance of the Chinese market

D．Because the customers are not satisfied with the charging of a 5,000 Yuan premium.

What does the underlined phrase“take the initiative” mean?

A．took the advice

B．changed his mind

C．took the action

D．made the decision

Why did Toyota president Akio Toyota skip Europe’s Geneva auto show?

A．Because he did not think it important

B．Because he was not satisfied with the hearing in the US

C．Because he attached importance to the Chinese Market

D．Because he needed to make an apology to Chinese

After the global recalls of millions vehicles, Toyota will be impacted in the following aspects, EXCEPT_________.

A．Its brand will be damaged

B．Its profit margins will shrink

C．It will have to face law suits

D．The president will be fired

Where can read the passage? __________

A．newspaper

B．magazine

C．encyclopedia

D．a school book

Weather Report
(8:00 a.m. December 17—8:00 a.m. December 18)
Influenced by a cold front northern Xinjiang, the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the northern and eastern parts of Heilongjiang are expected to experience light snow today. Drizzle (小雨) is forecast for most areas of Sichuan and western coastal areas of South China. Northerly winds of force 4-6 are expected to affect western and southwestern Inner Mongolia, and most parts of Northeast China while northerly winds of force 5-7 will sweep across the Bohai Sea, the northern parts of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, and the central and northern parts of the South China Sea.
Weather forecast for major Chinese cities

City	Max(℃)℃C)	Min(℃)	Weather
Beijing	10	－2	clear
Changchun	0	－6	clear
Changsha	19	5	clear
Chengdu	9	4	drizzle
Chongqing	10	5	overcast
Dalian	12	3	clear
Fuzhou	18	－12	cloudy
Guangzhou	23	15	cloudy
Guilin	19	4	clear
Haikou	19	14	overcast
Hangzhou	18	5	clear
Harbin	－3	－8	clear
Hong Kong	21	16	cloudy
Jinan	14	3 -„: ;;.;;:;,.:-,-,;.,	clear ^A-^ ^.-,.-.1

 
According to the weather report, we know it doesn’t rain in many areas except ______.

A．Xinjiang

B．Qinghai-Tibet

C．Heilongjiang

D．Chengdu

From December 17 to December 18, if you go to ______, you may be caught in the snow.

A．Northern Xinjiang and Tibet	B．Sichuan and South China
C．Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang	D．Qinghai and Sichuan

On December 17, the East China Sea will be swept by ______.

A．a cold front	B．light snow
C．northerly winds of force 4-6	D．northerly winds of force 5-7

The temperature in Harbin Min(℃) is ___ lower than that in Guangzhou Min(℃).

A．23

B．31

C．26

D．7