All children in the United States have to receive an education, but not all children go to school. A number of parents　　36　not to send their children to school. Such children are known　　37　　 “home-schoolers”. Some parents prefer teaching their children at home　　38 they do not believe schools teach the correct religious (宗教的)　　39 ; others believe they can provide a better educational　　40 for their children by doing so.　　41 , results show home-schooled children often do better than 　　42 on national tests in reading and math.
　　David teaches his three children at home. He 　　43　that his children learn very differently from children in school. Learning starts with the children’s　　44　and questions. For example, when there is snowfall on a winter day, it may　　45　a discussion about climate, snow removal 　　46 , Alaska, etc. Or a spring evening when the family is out　47　the stars is a good time to ask questions about the sky. If the Brazilian rain forests are on TV, it　48　　be a perfect time to talk about how rain forests influence the climate, how deserts are　49　　and how the polar ice caps　50 ocean levels.
　Home schooling is often more interesting than　　51　schools, but critics (批評家) say home-schoolers might be uncomfortable　　52　 with other people in adult life. Critics also say that most parents are not　53　to teach their children. However, most parents don’t have the time or the　　54　to teach their children at home, so schools will continue to be　　55　　most children get their formal education.

小題1:	A．consider B．prefer　　　　 C．provide D．suggest

小題2:	A．for　　　　 B．to C．a(chǎn)s　　　　　　 D．in

小題3:	A．because　　 B．for C．though D．while

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ctivities B．uses C．thoughts D．values

小題5:	A．experience B．knowledge C．behavior D．way

小題6:	A．Sadly B．Actually C．Unbelievably D．Happily

小題7:	A．normal B．ordinary C．common　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)verage

小題8:	A．believes B．says C．offers　　　　　　 D．imagines

小題9:	A．interests B．discussion C．needs D．hobbies

小題10:

A．carry B．open C．lead　　　　　　 D．start

小題11:

A．furniture B．equipment C．tool D．maker

小題12:

A．seeing B．looking C．watching D．noticing

小題13:

A．need B．must C．ought D．could

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)ppeared B．formed C．invented D．built

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)ffect B．decide C．make D．determine

小題16:

A．outside B．expensive C．informal D．regular

小題17:

A．living B．matching C．mixing D．connecting

小題18:

A．fit　　　　 B．a(chǎn)dapted C．a(chǎn)vailable D．good

小題19:

A．money B．desire C．hope D．demand

小題20:

A．why B．how C．when D．where

Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原諒的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，” Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers.”
小題1:According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.
b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.
c. Caden suffered a head injury.
d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.
d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.

A．d，c，a，b，e

B．c，a，d，b，e

C．c，d，a，b，e

D．d，a，b，c，e

小題2:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time.

B．The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations.

C．Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time.

D．Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions.

小題3:What can we infer from the passage?

A．The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much.

B．The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder.

C．Many pilots enjoy writing blog.

D．Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint.

小題4:In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．

A．a(chǎn)n unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight

B．a(chǎn) poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend

C．Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight

D．a(chǎn) pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson

If California were not already so famous for Sillicon Valley(硅谷) and Hollywood, it might be well－known for the groups of water－technology firms in its San Diego County. The reverse－osmosis (RO) spiral module, the technique that supports turning seawater and waste－water into drinkable stuff, began in San Diego in 1964. Today dozens of firms in the area supply many of the world's approximately 13，000 RO plants in places from the Persian Gulf and Israel to Australia and China.
Southern California itself, however, has not so far been a big user of its own technology. This is surprising, given that the whole American south－west faces a water problem. But now as the climate gets warmer and the population increases, there is more agreement that the existing infrastructure, consisting of vast pipes that carry water from the Sacramento Delta in the north and the Colorado River in the east, will not be enough. In places such as San Diego, which has inadequate and salty groundwater and currently imports 90% or its water, the answers must be greater conservation, reusing as much water as possible, and getting most of the rest from the sea.
The first part, conservation, has been widely accepted by the public. San Diego today uses less water with a larger population than it did in 1989, the year water consumption peaked. The second part, water recycling has been a hard sell, because of an unpleasant factor. Americans still use the term “toilet－to－tap” for recycling, even though properly treated waste－water is nowadays completely clean. Singapore made its programme acceptable in part by renaming it as NEWater.
This is where desalination comes in, which means taking the salt out of salt water. A firm called Poseidon Resources is now close to building the biggest desalination plant in America behind a power station by the beach in Carlsbad. The power plant sucks in 304m gallons of seawater a day for cooling, so Poseidon plans to change 104m gallons a day by using the RO spiral module.
Lots of people like the idea. Once fully running in 2015, the plant could produce 10% of the region's water. And there are plans for more desalination plants. Many places would need to take much less water from the endangered Colorado River. But a few people hate it a lot. Joe Geever, an expert in biology, says desalination uses too much energy and that Poseidon plant would kill too much sea life. He understands that there is a role for desalination, he says, but would rather not have it right there, right now, and on this scale.
小題1:Which of the following is WRONG about the RO spiral module according to the passage?

A．This technology is not widely used in its birthplace.

B．Today there are about 13，000 RO plants in the Persian Gulf, Israel, Australia and China.

C．This technology can be used in desalination plants to make sea water drinkable.

D．It is a promising water treatment technology welcomed by a lot of people.

小題2:How many solutions to the water problem in San Diego are mentioned in the article?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

小題3:What can we infer from the article?

A．The Colorado River is the main water source for California.

B．Americans still use the term “toilet－to－tap” for recycling water.

C．NEWater serves as a brand for recycled clean water in Singapore.

D．Poseidon Resources stands for the power station by the beach in Carlsbad.

小題4:What is Joe Geever's attitude toward building a large desalination plant at present?

A．Supportive.

B．Negative.

C．Optimistic.

D．Vague.

Why texting harms your IQ
The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 per cent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an email and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.”
小題1:We can learn from the passage that “infomania” ______.

A．has a positive influence on one’s IQ

B．results in the change of part of the brain

C．lies in the problem of lack of concentration

D．is caused by too much use of modern technology

小題2:The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ______.

A．the important function of advanced technology

B．the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits

C．the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology

D．the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness

小題3:The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “______”.

A．examined carefully	B．copied patiently
C．corrected quickly	D．a(chǎn)dmitted freely

小題4:Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

CP: Central Point   P: Point   Sp: Sub-point (次要點)   C: Conclusion

A good way to pass an examination is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in the examination if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the examination. A few days before the examination you should start going to bed early. Do not stay up late at night learning things. Before you start the examination, read carefully over the question paper. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have at last finished your examinations, read over your answers. Correct any mistake which you see and make sure that you have not missed anything out.
小題1:“Stay up late at night” here means         .

A．sleeping in bed

B．just sitting up without doing anything

C．walking about in the room

D．working far into the night

小題2:The first thing to do after you get the question paper is to         .

A．start to answer questions

B．work the difficult problems

C．have a look at the titles

D．read it very carefully

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A．You must not hand in the examination paper before you check your answers.

B．You must wait till others point out mistakes in your paper.

C．You must first hand in your paper then correct the mistakes.

D．You must be the last to hand in your paper.

Farming is moving indoors, where the sun never shines, where rainfall is irrelevant (無關的) and where the climate is always right. The perfect crop field could be inside a windowless building with controlled light, temperature，humidity，air quality and nutrition. It could be in a New York high- rise or a complex （建筑群） in the Saudi desert. It may be an answer to the world’s food problems.
The world already is having trouble feeding itself. Half the people on Earth live in cities, and nearly half of those – about 3 billion – are hungry or ill–fed. Food prices, currently increasing, are badly affected by dryness, floods and the cost of energy required to plant, harvest and transport it. And prices will only get more unstable. Climate change makes long-term crop planning uncertain. Farmers in many parts of the world already are using water available to the last drop. And the world is getting more crowded: by mid-century, the global population will grow from 6.8 billion to 9 billion.
To feed so many people may require expanding farmland at the expense of forests and wilderness, or finding ways to greatly increase crop output.
Gertjan Meeuws and three other Dutch bioengineers grow vegetables and house plants in closed and regulated environments. In their research station, water flows into the pans when needed, and the temperature is kept constant. Lights go on and off, creating “day” and “night”, but according to the rhythm of the plant.
Meeuws says a building of 100 square meters and layers of plants could provide a daily diet of 200 grams of fresh fruit and vegetables for the entire population of Ken Bosch, about 140,000 people. Their idea isn’t to grow foods that require much space, like corn or potatoes.
Sunlight is not only unnecessary but can be harmful. Plants need only specific wavelengths of light to grow. Their growth rate is three times faster than under greenhouse conditions. They use about 90 percent less water than outdoor agriculture. And city farming means producing food near the consumer, so there’s on need to transport it long distances.
小題1:According to the text, Gertjan Meeuws’ farming _______.

A．can be used for corn production

B．is much like greenhouse farming

C．is adaptable to any environment

D．uses more water than outdoor farming

小題2:What is the second paragraph mainly about ?

A．The effect of climate	B．The hungry people in cities.
C．The world’s food problem.	D．The world’s increasing population.

小題3:What is the purpose of the text ?

A．To compare traditional and indoor farming.

B．To discuss the influence of climate change.

C．To explain the world’s food problem.

D．To introduce a new model of farming.

More Americans are Googling themselves ------ and many are checking out their friends, co-workers and romantic interests, too.
In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the growth wasn't higher.
"Yes it's doubled, but many Internet users have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," she said.
Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more likely to self-Google because their jobs demand a certain online persona.
Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit looking up information about someone else, not including celebrities.
Often, it's to find someone they have lost touch with. But looking up information about friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors also was common.
Although men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were slightly more likely to look up information about someone they are dating.
In many cases, the search is done to find someone's contact information. But a third of those who have conducted searches on others have looked for public records, such as bankruptcies(破產(chǎn)) and divorce （離婚）proceedings. A similar number have searched for someone else's photo.
Few Internet users say they Google themselves regularly —— about three-quarters of self-searchers say they have done so only once or twice. And most who have done so consider what they find accurate.
Pew also found that teens were more likely than adults to restrict who can see their information at an online hangout(常去之處) like Facebook or News Corp's MySpace.
小題1:The number of American adult Internet users______ Mary Madden.

A．frightened

B．pleased

C．disappointed

D．a(chǎn)nnoyed

小題2:What does “ they” refer to in the seventh paragraph?

A．common people	B．scientists
C．a(chǎn)dults	D．53 percent adult Internet users

小題3:How many people have checked others’ photos?

A．One- fifth

B．One-fourth

C．One- third

D．A half

小題4:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Learn to Google Yourself	B．Googling Oneself Is Popular
C．New Performance Online	D．Don’t Google Yourself Online

The flying fox is not a fox at all. It is an extra large bat that has got a fox’s head, and that feeds on fruit. Like all bats, flying foxes hang themselves by their toes (趾) when at rest, and travel in great crowds when out flying. A group will live in one place for years. Sometimes several hundreds of them occupy a single tree. As they return to the tree towards sunrise, they quarrel among themselves and fight for the best places until long after daylight.
Flying foxes have babies once a year, giving birth to only one at a time. At first the mother has to carry the baby on her chest wherever she goes. Later she leaves it hanging up, and brings back food for it to eat. Sometimes a baby bat falls to the ground. Then the older ones fly down and try to pick it up. If they fail to do so, it will die. Often hundreds of baby bats can be found lying on the ground at the foot of the tree.
小題1:The passage tells us that there is no difference between the flying fox and the ordinary bat in ______.

A．their size	B．their appearance
C．the kind of food they eat	D．the way they rest

小題2:Flying foxes ______.

A．double their number every year

B．fight and kill a lot of themselves

C．move from place to place very often

D．lose a lot of their young

小題3:At daybreak every day flying foxes begin to ______.

A．fly out toward the sun

B．look for a new resting place

C．come back to their home

D．go out and look for food

小題4:Flying foxes have fights ______.

A．to occupy the best resting places

B．only when it is dark

C．to protect their homes from outsiders

D．when there is not enough food

小題5:How do flying foxes care for their young?

A．They only care for their own babies.

B．They share the feeding of their young.

C．They help when a baby bat is in danger.

D．They often leave home and forget their young.

Researchers in over 80 nations are taking part in a project to conduct a decade-long census(統(tǒng)計) of sea life. Scientists presented some of their findings at a recent conference as the project neared its completion.
In deep icy waters under Antarctica, scientists found bulbous tunicates, an underground animal, and many newly-discovered creatures believed to be related to starfish (海星) and other marine(海洋的）creatures.
Elsewhere in the world’s oceans, they have recently discovered many kinds of underwater life forms new to science. It is all part of a research effort called the Census of Marine Life.
“There are about 2,000 scientists worldwide involved,” said Bob Gagosian, President, CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Gagosian helps manage the project. “Everywhere they’ve gone they’ve found new things,” he says. “The ocean basically is unexplored from the point of view of marine living things.”
Researchers have placed small markers on hundreds of fish and marine animals to track by satellite their migration(遷移）routes and to discover places where sea life gathers.
According to Ron O’Dor, a senior scientist with the Census of Marine Life, knowledge of life on the ocean floor is especially limited. “90% of all the information we have is from the top hundred meters of the ocean,” O’Dor states.
And he says the sea floor is, on average, at a depth of 4, 000 meters. And so, as some machines dive far below what people have previously seen, scientists are discovering new species of plants, animals and living things.
Since the census project began, more than 5,300 new marine animals have been found. Ocean researchers say they hope to catalogue 230,000 species during the census —which some say is only a small part of all the creatures living in the sea.
小題1:Why do the researchers place small markers on many marine creatures?

A．To catch them.	B．To research them.
C．To kill them.	D．To protect them.

小題2:From what Ron O’Dor says, we can conclude that        .

A．human beings only know a little about marine life

B．the oceans don’t need to be further explored

C．he considers exploring the ocean a dangerous thing

D．the marine creatures mainly live on the top of the ocean

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．About 2,000 scientists from America are involved in the project.

B．The census of sea life will last for ten years.

C．230,000 new marine animals have been found.

D．The sea floor is at a depth of 400 meters.

小題4:Why does the author write the passage?

A．To tell the news that new marine creatures are being discovered

B．To encourage people to find new marine creatures

C．To prove the importance of marine creatures

D．To introduce the newly-discovered creatures.

An increase in students applying to study economics (經(jīng)濟學) at university is being attributed to （歸因于）the global economic crisis (危機) awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works.  
Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.  
Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecture at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures which are open to students from all departments—were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.  
“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done. ” He added.   
University applications rose 70% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the pubic sector（部門）, which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.  
A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.  
Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: “It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially wiser and better equipped (使…有能力) to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”
小題1:Professor John Beath’s lectures are            .  

A．given in a traditional way

B．connected with the present situation

C．open to both students and their parents

D．warmly received by economics

小題2: Careers in the public sector are more attractive because of their        .

A．greater stability	B．higher pay
C．fewer applications	D．better reputation

小題3:In the opinion of most parents ,           .  

A．economics should be the focus of school teaching

B．more students should be admitted to universities

C．the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened.

D．children should solve financial problems themselves

小題4:According to Hocking , the global economic crisis might make the youngsters_____.

A．wiser in money management

B．have access to better equipment

C．confident about their future careers

D．get jobs in Child Trust Funds

小題5:What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Universities have received more applications.

B．Economics is attracting an increasing number of students

C．college students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty

D．parents are concerned with children’s subject selection.