高中英语阅读理解

We are not rich by what we possess but rather by what we can do without.
——Immauel Kant
Many times my friend June would say, “If I ever get rich, I’m getting a completely new wardrobe （大衣柜）and moving into a bigger apartment.” I thought of her words and her chances of being rich are about as good as mine. But, to everyone’s surprise, a few years ago June did come to large inheritance（遗产）.
At first June said very little about the money. As the initial shock disappeared, she became excited, June is a great believer in making lists, so I was surprised to find her writing down all the ways she would spend her new wealth.
As time went on, she started revising the list. What had been midway down the list was now at the top. At last, I said to her, “You know, it isn’t necessary to spend all your inheritance at once. Take come time; think about it.” “I know, I know,” she answered with a little bit anger.
Then one morning June called, “I’ve decided how I want to use my new inheritance. I want to see what you think,” she said. This wasn’t something I looked forward to, but we had been friends so long.
As we sat, June spread a sheet of paper on the table. To my great surprise, she had written only two words: Charities, and Grandchildren-in that order. Though I had promised to keep quiet, I couldn’t keep from asking how she came to this decision.
“Well,” she said, “I took your advice and thought about it.” She added, “Helping others means a lot to me, so I’m hoping this gift will help people in need.”
I interrupted, “But what about this big apartment you most hope to have?”
“At first it was hard, but it doesn’t seem as important any more”, she answered with a smile.
Then June moved her hand, and I could see a few words written in tiny letters at the bottom of the page. After having a look at the small print, I burst into laughter. June had written: AND one new wardrobe.
From the passage we can learn that the writer at first         .

A．was richer than her friend June

B．was no richer than her friend June

C．was poorer than her friend June

D．was interested in money as June

When making a list of how to deal with her inheritance, June          .

A．didn’t change it at all

B．had a quarrel with the writer

C．kept it secret from the writer

D．made some changes to it

When June called the writer to talk about her new decision, the writer         .

A．felt that June would do something meaningful

B．refused the invitation at first, but changed her mind later

C．had decided not to make any comments on June’s list

D．was eager to learn more about the new list

What did the writer think of her friend’s new decision?

A．She found it funny and wrong.

B．She found it unacceptable and unbelievable.

C．She found it surprising and meaningful.

D．She found it difficult and meaningless.

Rules for the University Entrance Examination
You must be at the examination center ten minutes before the examination starts．If you are more than ten minutes late, you may not enter the examination center．The examination takes place at the same time in different states．
You must have proof of your name and grade as well as official examination number．Show these when you come to the examination center．
Depending on which examination you are taking you  may bring certain items into the examination center．Mathematics examinations may allow you to use electronic calculators（计算器）．Other subjects may allow you to use dictionaries and other reference material．Please read the notes sent with your time table carefully．
You must bring your own pencils．None will be provided for you．The following items are not allowed in the examination center: walkmans and radios, head sets, any food or drink, school bags, electronic equipment （unless specifically permitted for various subjects）, and mobile phones．
Once in the center, you must sit at the desk with your examination number on it．When you sit down, place your examination number at the to corner of your desk．You must remain silent during the examination．You must not disturb other people who are taking the test．
If you need a drink or toilet break, you should raise your hand and wait for the supervisor（监督者） to speak to you．You will be given water or the supervisor will take you to the bathroom．You are not allowed to talk with anyone during the break．
You must write your answers in the official answer sheet．Your supervisor will provide extra paper if you wish to make notes．
You may leave the examination room at any time if you do not plan to return, If you finish early and want to leave well away from the examination center．
The supervisor will warn you fifteen minutes, five minutes and one minute before the end of the examination．When the supervisor says that the time is up you must put down your pencil and wait at your desk until your paper is collected．
What kind of examination are these rules probably for?

A．A local exam．	B．A final exam．
C．A college exam．	D．A national exam．

What are you allowed to have with you when you take mathematics examination?

A．Related material．	B．Proof of yourself．
C．A cell phone．	D．A dictionary．

What should you do if you finish the test early and want to get a better result?

A．Take some notes carefully．

B．Leave the room immediately．

C．Remain in your seat and check again．

D．Raise your hand to inform your teacher．

The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato’s Closet in Chaelotte, NC is a private company, which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and graceful brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato’s closet targets teens and those in their 20s. Plato’s Closet , with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories(装饰品) that are currently popular at about one third the retail prices(零售价).
The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie &Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato’s Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s, 40s, and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like.
If you are selling
Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment(寄售),Plato’s Closet buys on the spot.
Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition.
Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.
There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they’ll give you cash. More than that, you’ll get a Visa cash card.
Secondhand success
Don’t get discouraged if you can’t find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.
Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.
Price comparison
Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37
Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90.
Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89.
Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30.
What is the difference between Plato’s Closet and other resale shops?

A．They offer service for people of different ages.

B．The offerings in Plato’s Closet are more expensive.

C．Plato’s Closet only offers high-end brands for women.

D．Plato’s Closet also sells books to customers.

Which of the following about Plato’s Closet is NOT true?

A．Hollister and Abercrombie &Fitch are the two hottest brands in Plato’s Closet.

B．Women in their fifties can’t find proper clothes and accessories in Plato’s Closet.

C．Goods in Plato’s Closet are sold at 67 percent off retail prices or so.

D．Plato’s Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.

In Plato’s Closet, which of the following is not accepted?

A．Items you sell must be in very good condition.

B．You can negotiate with buyers about prices of goods.

C．The clothes you sell should be less than two years old.

D．You can sell your goods on the spot instead of on consignment.

If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato’s Closet, you can save _______.

A．57.9 dollars	B．15 dollars
C．77 dollars	D．25 dollars.

The term “Industry 4.0” refers to the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was the production of goods with machines like steam engines, which was followed by the second industrial revolution that introduced mass production with the help of electric power, followed by the digital revolution —the use of electronics and IT in production.
Industry 4.0 is a high-tech project, which promotes the computerization of manufacturing (制造业). The basic principle of Industry 4.0 is that by connecting machines, work pieces and systems, we are creating intelligent networks along the entire value chain that can control each other automatically. The goal is the Smart Factory, which adapts well and uses resources efficiently as well as linking customers and business partners with great intelligence. Technological basis are the Internet systems and advanced factories. Experts believe that Industry 4.0 could be a reality in about 10 to 20 years.
So, what effects does this change have on the classic manufacturing? According to an expert, “it is highly likely that the world of production will become more and more networked until everything is connected with everything else.” Networks and processes have so far been limited to one factory. But in the time of Industry 4.0, the boundaries (界限) of individual factories will most likely no longer exist. Instead, they will be lifted in order to inter-connect multiple factories or even geographical regions.
How is an Industry 4.0 factory different from a today’s factory? In current industry environment, providing high-end quality service or product with the least cost is the key to success. Factories are trying to increase their profit as much as possible. In the time of Industry 4.0, various data sources are available to provide worthwhile information about different aspects of the factory. Using data for understanding the current condition and checking faults and failures is a natural thing. The sharing of information around the clock and around the globe will enable these connected systems to manage themselves independently, work more efficiently and identify any errors quickly.
The good news is that Europe is much better prepared for the Industry 4.0 revolution than one might think. Europe will position itself as a pioneer in the fourth revolution. Industry 4.0 is a project in the high-tech strategy of the German government. Meanwhile, in the U.S., some companies are also working hard on it. But the success of industry depends on whether business and politics can work together. It’s not only politics that needs to help open the door for Industry 4.0. Every company is advised to seize the new digital opportunities.
What marks the coming of Industry 4.0?

A．Steam engines.	B．Mass production.
C．Use of electronics.	D．Intelligent networks.

Industry 4.0 will probably result in ________ in the world of manufacturing.

A．production limited to an individual factory

B．everything connected with everything else

C．networks and processes no longer existing

D．classic factories stopping their competition

What’s the meaning of the underlined part in Para. 4?

A．Sharing information of the world time.

B．Global news broadcast at any time.

C．Instant worldwide information exchange.

D．Spreading news widely on the hour.

According to the last paragraph, who is the most active in pushing Industry 4.0?

A．The European companies.

B．The American government.

C．The American companies.

D．The German government.

The current Ebola (埃博拉病毒) outbreak in western and central Africa has infected at least 3,069 people, including 1,552 dead, making it the largest outbreak in history. Ebola is a deadly virus —about 60 percent of people infected with it have died.
How is Ebola doing its harm?
When a person becomes infected with Ebola, the virus damages the body’s immune (免疫的) cells, which defend against infection, said a researcher at Lancaster University. But if a person’s immune system can stand up to this attack, then he is more likely to survive the disease.
The patients that survive it best are those who don’t get such a bad disadvantage in immune system. But if the body isn’t able to get rid of this attack, then the immune system becomes less able to regulate (调节) itself. This means the immune system is more likely to run out of control, leading to a drop in blood pressure, multi-organ failure and eventually death.
What are the common symptoms of the disease?
Fever. Headache. Joint and muscle aches. Weakness. Diarrhea. Vomiting. Stomach pain. Lack of appetite. Chills. Rash. Redness in the eyes. Hiccups. Cough. Sore throat. Chest pain. Difficult breathing or swallowing. Bleeding inside and outside of the body.
How to prevent the spread of Ebola?
Ebola can be spread primarily via direct contact with patients, specifically the blood and fluids of an infected patient.
We should avoid contact with infected patients and objects such as clothing, bedding, and needles used by them. Avoid areas where infections have been reported. For now, the disease has only been confirmed in central and West Africa, four cases in America and Europe. Avoid eating wild-caught bush meat. Researchers have suspected that the disease came to humans via animals, probably through the meat of primates(灵长类). If you’re in an area where the disease has been reported, avoid purchasing, eating, or handling wild game to stay on the safe side.
Wear protective medical clothing if you’re around infected patients. Extreme caution is necessary. Hospital workers must use masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns, which needed to be worn at all times if you’re around infected patients.
How Do People Survive Ebola?
Doctors don’t know for certain who will survive Ebola, and there is no specific treatment or cure for the disease. Although in the minority, some people do recover from infection.
Our suggestions include:
Maintain your electrolytes (电解质) and body liquid. Sports drinks can be used. Monitor your blood pressure and control it if necessary. Dropping blood pressure may be a serious sign of infection. Breathe in an oxygen-rich environment. Quickly address any symptoms of infection. Be honest about when and where you’re feeling pain.
Ebola causes the death of a human being by ________.

A．attacking him with high fever

B．regulating his immune system

C．damaging his immune cells

D．harming all his organs directly

What is NOT mentioned as the symptom of Ebola?

A．Fever and chills.	B．Swallowing difficulty.
C．Loss of blood.	D．High blood pressure.

In order not to be infected by Ebola, we should _________.

A．have the clothing of the infected cleaned

B．avoid eating wild animals like monkeys

C．not travel to Africa, America or Europe

D．stay at home without going anywhere

It is true that ________.

A．a certain number of people survive Ebola

B．human has found a special cure for Ebola

C．oxygen can save infected people’s lives

D．low blood pressure is surely caused by Ebola

Over the last 25 years, British society has changed a great deal or at least many parts of it have. In some ways, however, very little has changed, particularly where attitudes are concerned. Ideas about social class --- whether a person is “working class” or “middle class” are one area in which changes have been extremely slow.
In the past, the working class tended to be paid less than middle-class people, such as teachers and doctors. As a result of this and also of the fact that workers’ jobs were generally much less secure, evident differences in lifestyles and attitudes came into existence. The typical working man would collect his wages on Friday evening and then, it was widely believed, having given his wife her “housekeeping”, would go out and squander (挥霍) the rest on beer and betting.
The stereotype (模式化的思想) of what a middle-class man did with his money was perhaps nearer the truth. He was --- and still is --- tended to take a longer-term view. Not only did he regard buying a house as a most important thing , but he also considered the education of his children as extremely important. Both of these provided him and his family with security. Only in very few cases did workers have the opportunity ( or the education and training ) to make such long-term plans.
Nowadays, a great deal has changed. In a large number of cases factory workers earn as much, if not more, than their middle-class administrators. Social security and laws have made it less necessary than before to worry about “tomorrow”. Working class people seem slowly to be losing the feeling of inferiority（自卑） they had in the past. In fact there has been a growing tendency in the past few years for the middle classes to feel slightly ashamed of their position.
The changes in both lifestyles and attitudes are probably most easily seen among younger people. They generally tend to share very similar tastes in music and clothes; they spend their money in having a good time, and save for holidays or longer-term plans when necessary. There seems to be much less difference than in precious generations. Nevertheless, we still have a wide gap between the well-paid (whatever the type of job they may have) and the low-paid. As long as this gap exists, there will always be a possibility that new conflicts and jealousies will arise, or rather that the old conflicts will re-appear, but between different groups.

According to the passage, which of the following is not a typical feature of the middle class?

A．Desiring for security.

B．Making long-term plans.

C．Having vision for the future.

D．Saving money.

The author seems to suggest that the description of ________________ is closer to truth.

A．middle-class ways of spending money

B．working class ways of spending the weekend

C．working class drinking habits

D．middle-class attitudes

Working class people’s sense of security increased as a result of all the following factors except _______________.

A．better social security	B．more administration
C．higher self-confidence	D．less income inequality

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A．Changes are slowly taking place in all sectors of the British society.

B．The gap between working class and middle class young people is narrowing.

C．Difference in income will remain but those in occupation will disappear.

D．Middle-class people may sometimes feel inferior to working class people.

Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person．Feeling down?Consider these things to remember when you’re having a bad day．
No one promised life would be perfect．If you look for perfection，you’11 never be content．Don’t condition your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself．It is good to be ambitious，but you’11 never be perfect．If you expect otherwise，your life will be filled with disappointments．
Success doesn’t happen overnight．Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit．Don’t kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly．It isn’t easy to be patient，but anything worth doing requires time．If you get frustrated，remind yourself why your goal is important．
There is a lesson in every struggle．And once the storm is over，you won’t remember how you made it through or how you managed to survive．But one thing is certain．When you come out of the storm，you won’t be the same person who walked in．That’s what this storm’s all about．Don’t complain about how terrible your life is．If you search for the lesson in your present struggle，you’11 be able to make positive changes that would prevent similar situations in the future．
Without hard times，you wouldn’t appreciate the good ones．Strength does not come from winning．Your struggles develop your strengths．When you go through hardships and decide not to give in，that is strength．It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail，but how else would you improve yourself?If you look at failure as a part of your evolutionary process，you’11 stay positive and pursue your goals for as long as it takes．
Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A．Every person has to go through hard times

B．We can learn a lot from our struggles

C．We should accept the fact that life is not perfect

D．Things to remember when you are having a bad day

What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Success will come quickly．

B．Hard work leads to success．

C．Success calls for patience．

D．Confidence is the first step to success.

We can learn from Paragraph 4 that____________．

A．1essons from struggles make us stronger

B．all things are difficult before they are easy

C．we should forget how we managed to survive

D．similar situations in the future will never appear

What can we infer from Paragraph 5?

A．Hard times make us lose heart and be short of courage.

B．Perseverance in time of hardships develops our strengths．

C．Smiles when you fail will not help to improve yourself．

D．We should try to avoid failures in the evolutionary process.

No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管). A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University’s clinical trials unit, said “These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that’s a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．We can eat too much tomato food.

B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks.

C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements were put into pills.

D．We had better not eat tomatoes.

We can learn from the passage that the pills ____.

A．are at the experiment stage

B．can cure all the disease

C．are widely used among patients

D．cost patients so little money

Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?

A．Children.	B．Youth.
C．Working people.	D．old healthy people.

What Was Ian Wilkinson’s opinion on the trial?

A．Disappointing.	B．Surprising.
C．Satisfactory.	D．Terrible.

   A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky(冒险的) it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a deadly accident as a teenager driving alone, while the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased sharply after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue,” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使……缓解)the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night or passenger limits, before graduating to full driving licenses.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have limits on passengers. California is the strictest, with a new driver under 20 forbidden to carry any passenger (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.
Which of the following situations can we infer is most dangerous according to the passage?

A．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.

B．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.

C．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.

D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly because of _______.

A．their frequent driving at night

B．their improper ways of driving

C．their driving with passengers

D．their lack of driving experience

According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The licensing departments are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents.

B．Driving is too complex a skill for teenagers to learn.

C．Teenagers should be forbidden to apply to take driving lessons.

D．Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.

A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that_______.

A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule

B．the licensing system should be improved

C．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.

D．they should be forbidden to take on passengers

  Many young people tell me that they want to be writers. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there is a big difference between being a writer and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and being famous, not the long hours alone at the typewriter.
When I became a writer, I had no future. What I had was a friend called George. He found me a home. It was cold and had no bathroom. I could only afford a used typewriter. A year later, however, I still hadn’t received a break and began to doubt myself. But I knew I wanted to write. I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with fear of failure. This is the shadow land (阴影) of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. Then one day I got a call from a friend who asked me to be an assistant for $6,000 a year. As the dollars were dancing in my head, something brought me to my sense. “Thanks, but no,” I heard myself saying. After that, I walked around my little room and started to feel like a fool. I felt a little low.
Later, I gradually began to sell my articles. It was after 17 years of being a writer that Roots was published. At once I had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced. The shadows had turned into great sunlight. Before that, it was a long and slow climb out of the shadows.
The second paragraph is mainly about ______.

A．the job chance the author ever had

B．the difficulties before the author succeeded

C．the great help from the author’s friends

D．the important choices the author made

The underlined word “something” in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.

A．the author’s dream of being a writer

B．the author’s trouble in making money

C．the author’s hard life before success

D．the author’s wish to be successful

How did the author feel after he refused the job offer?

A．confident	B．angry
C．excited	D．Unhappy

After nearly 50 years of separation，an elderly woman has been reunited with the family that she feared was lost to her forever.
Celestine Thompson left Mississippi when she was 14 years old and eventually settled in New York，where she spent more than 30 years of her life，according to WLOX 13News. After surviving a fire in 1992，Thompson was in a coma（昏迷）for two years and has since experienced memory loss. The 90-year-old found it difficult to recall details about her family.
But later she remembered the name of her nephew Clarence Woodway. Then another woman who knows Thompson in Mississippi was able to track Woodway down and help reunite Thompson with her large family.
“In our minds，my brother and I were talking that she wasn’t here anymore，because we hadn’t heard from her for a very long time，”Donald Davis，another one of Thompson’s nephews，told the media.“You know，we were overjoyed when we found out that we had gotten in contact with her.”
A few of Thompson’s relatives visited her in New York，and then arranged a larger reunion which was held this past Saturday in Gulfport，Mississippi，the Associated Press reported.
Thompson now lives in Greensboro，Alabama，with a caretaker，and，although she is yet to meet them all，she has regained quite a sizeable family of 23 nieces and nephews，64 grand nieces and nephews，66 great-grand nieces and nephews and 34 great-great-grand nieces and nephews，according to the Associated Press.
What can we know about Thompson?

A．She suffered memory loss and forgot everything about herself.

B．She lives with a caretaker and her relatives in Alabama at present.

C．She’s lost contact with her family since she left her hometown

D．She had a larger reunion with her family members in Mississippi.

Who helped Thompson get contact with her family?

A．A woman who knows her.

B．People from WLOX 13 News.

C．The Associated Press.

D．The caretaker she's living with.

How many generations are there in Thompson’s large family?

A．"Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

What can we learn from Thompson’s story?

A．Great hopes make a great woman.

B．Time and tide wait for no man.

C．Life wonders can really take place.

D．Misfortune will tell what fortune is.

A sun-starved Norwegian town has finally seen the light—by installing giant mirrors on the surrounding mountains to reflect rays onto its market square.
The small town of Rjukan sits deep in the narrow Vestfjord Valley，in the Telemark region south-west of Oslo. The towering peaks that surround it rise to almost 2,000 meters above sea level and block out the sunlight for half the year, meaning Rjukan residents live in a permanent shadow from September to March.
But all that changed this week, with the official launch of a project first proposed a century ago. Three high-tech mirrors，with a combined reflective surface of 50 square meters, have been put into operation on a ridge(山脊) on Gaustatoppen mountain，brightening up the previously gloomy town center by flooding it with up to 600 square meters of sunlight.
Twenty-first century technology has made the $850, 000 project possible, with heliostats—computer-powered mirrors—shifting every 10 seconds to track the movements of the sun during the day.
But the idea to lighten up the dark town actually dates back 100 years. Rjukan was originally founded as a company town for Norsk Hydro, which set up a fertilizer plant here to make use of the hydro power from the nearby 104 meter Rjukanfossen waterfall. The story goes that the aluminum(铝) and renewable energy company’s founder，Sam Eyde，wanted a way to brighten up the existence of his shadowed 1aborers--and also to make them work more effectively during the winter.
The local newspaper published a suggestion by local bookkeeper Oskar Kittelsen to use a mirror to reflect sunlight onto the town，and Eyde picked up on the idea. Technological limitations of the day meant the plan never came to fruition，however, and instead northern Europe’s first cable car was built in 1928 to give Rjukan residents sunlight exposure at the top of the mountain.
Rjukan residents used to 1ive in a permanent shadow from September to March       .

A．because it sits near the ArcticCircle(北极圈)

B．because it is located in a deep valley

C．because the sunlight was stopped by peaks

D．because it 1ies to the southwest of Oslo

The underlined word“flooding”in the third paragraph means        .

A．covering	B．counting
C．widening	D．viewing

Norsk Hydro set up Rjukan because       .

A．there were quantities of cheaper labors

B．there existed large amounts of hydro power

C．it was very convenient to use water

D．there was rich aluminum and water resources

It’s well known that our human memory can fail us. People can be forgetful, and they can sometimes also “remember” things incorrectly, with damaging consequences in the classroom, courtroom, and other areas of life. Now, researchers show for the first time that bumblebees(大黄蜂) can be unreliable witnesses too.
Bumblebees are rather clever animals, which explains why Chittka has been studying learning and memory in the insects for the last 20 years.
Most times when people have studied memory in animals, errors in performance have been taken to mean that the animals failed to learn the task or perhaps learned it and then forgot. But what if animals can experience a more interesting type of memory failure?
To find out, Chittka first trained bumblebees to expect a reward when visiting a yellow artificial flower followed by one with black-and-white rings. During subsequent tests, bees were given a choice between three types of flowers. Two were the types they’d seen in the training before. The third had yellow-and-white rings, representing a mixed-up version of the other two. Minutes after the training, the bees showed a clear preference for the flower that recently rewarded them.
One or three days later, however, something very different happened when the bumblebees’ memory was put to the test. At first, the bees showed the same preference displayed in the earlier tests, but as the time went on, they began selecting the flower with yellow rings, even though they’d never actually seen that one in training before.
Chittka says that insects make similar errors in the conjunction (结合) of long-term memories as humans do. The ability to extract (提取) common features between different events in the environment might come at the expense of remembering every detail correctly. In bees, with their limited brain capacity (容量), the pressure to store main features of several objects rather than each individual object might be much greater, compared with humans.
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Human memory can fail sometimes.

B．Bumblebees make false memories too.

C．Humans are not as clever as bumblebees.

D．Bumblebees have extraordinary memory.

Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word subsequent?

A．scientific	B．accurate
C．following	D．exceptional

What does the test mentioned in Paragraph 4 tell us?

A．Short-term memories serve the bees well.

B．The yellow artificial flower appeals to the bees.

C．Bumblebees like the flowers with yellow-and-white rings.

D．Bees have remarkable abilities to distinguish colors.

We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．Chittka thinks that bumblebees failed to remember the color of the flowers

B．Researchers have learned that bumblebees are unreliable animals

C．There exist no similarities between the memory errors in humans and bees.

D．It is less challenging for humans than bees to store main features of several objects.

Alibaba started taking the lead in China by connecting big Chinese manufacturers(制造商) with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba’s advantage wasn’t hard to judge: size. Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its market attracts 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year — and Alibaba is just the middleman. It encourages people to use its markets — not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.
If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings, and anything else my wife wanted. “You’re looking for what exactly? Why not try it? ” my Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.
Alibaba’s original business-to-business model now is second to consumer buying. Chinese retail(零售) buying makes up 80% of Alibaba’s profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items(物品) for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you’ll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba’s other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.
What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S. is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping — big-box retailers especially —in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao.
I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how wide the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I’m not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher’s iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.
Alibaba’s advantage mainly lies in          .

A．its low price

B．its big size

C．its not charging small sellers

D．its business-to-business service

What can we learn from the underlined sentence in the passage?

A．Alibaba will continue to develop.

B．Alibaba stands out as the best online site.

C．Alibaba acts as a bridge between the buyers and sellers.

D．Alibaba is of middle size among all the online sites.

What can be inferred from the passage?

A．TMall.com provides more profit than Taobao.

B．The author’s Chinese teacher is also an online purchase lover.

C．Taobao has no obvious advantage over other similar online sites.

D．Alibaba’s business-to-business service earns more money than retail.

What is the passage mainly about?

A．Shopping online in China is TaoBao.

B．How the author purchases online in China.

C．Shopping online goes beyond traditional shopping.

D．Alibaba influences people’s daily purchase in China.

When people imagine a classroom, they usually think of older people teaching younger ones. But when it comes to learning about high-technology devices, the opposite can often be true. A training program called the 50 Plus Center in the eastern American city of Columbia, Maryland offers free technology classes to adults over 50.
The training program also offers many other kinds of lectures from Qigong and Tai Chi to yoga and Latin jam dance. There are a lot of exercise programs including playing cards and physical exercises where many people just relax and spend some time together.
Myra Stafford is 73 years old. She signed up for the class to learn how to use her iPad. She is learning quickly with the help of the young and she enjoys learning from them. She says she is more confident today than she was before. Working with young people makes her feel wonderful because they don’t make her feel that she is old or dumb.
Eleven-year-old Zhion Perekins is a teacher of the technology class. He says some of the older adults know nothing about high-technology devices and they are very anxious, so patience is very important when working with them.
He gains more than just social skills from teaching older residents. He has learned a lot on how to communicate with people. He used to be a shy person, but now he has become outgoing.
There is a huge growing population over 60. The training program offers an opportunity for the old people to buy products online using high-technology devices. As senior citizens get more excited about what they want to buy, it is likely that they will go into the market and buy it, so that could lead to an increase in economy.
Who usually act as the teachers in the 50 Plus Center?

A．The young.	B．Adults over 50.
C．The older people.	D．High-technology devices.

What can we learn about the 50 Plus Center?

A．It teaches the students social skills.

B．There are a variety of activities for students.

C．People have to pay for attending the classes.

D．It is popular with both the young and the old.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．Myra Stafford is not satisfied with the classes.

B．The training program may do good to economy.

C．Myra Stafford is too old to learn technology well.

D．More and more senior citizens will attend the classes.

What’s the best title for the text?

A．A program called the 50 Plus Center

B．Teens teach the old about high-technology

C．How to help the senior citizens shop online

D．The old learn to use high-technology devices