Until the 1980s, the American homeless population is mainly made up of older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis. But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not treated as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions（規(guī)定） of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
小題1:It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A．the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B．many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C．there is a serious shortage of academic facilities

D．homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

小題2:The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A．350,000

B．1,500,000

C．440,000

D．110,000

小題3:One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A．the homeless children are too young to be treated as children

B．the homeless population is growing rapidly

C．the homeless children usually stay outside school

D．some homeless children are deserted by their families

小題4:The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A．the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized

B．the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine

C．the address of grade-school children should be located

D．a(chǎn)ll homeless people should have free education

Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts(促使) you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(變異) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
小題1:What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article? 

A．The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.

B．Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays.

C．Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming.

D．Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence.

小題2:According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.

A．had much more genes that determine human intelligence

B．were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures

C．relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence

D．developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities

小題3:Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.

A．people today are under much more pressure than early humans

B．it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence

C．modern education is far more advanced than ancient education

D．human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past

小題4:What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?

A．Supportive

B．Unfavorable

C．Worried

D．Confused

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are trained to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery（外科手術(shù)）”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows. You can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short. I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of pain just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
小題1:We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.

A．a(chǎn) professor

B．a(chǎn) model

C．a(chǎn) teacher

D．a(chǎn) reporter

小題2:Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.

A．marry a better man/woman

B．become a model

C．get an advantage over others in job-hunting

D．a(chǎn)ttract more admirers

小題3:What was the author’s reaction towards the girl’s decision?

A．Excited.

B．Surprised.

C．Happy.

D．Angry.

小題4:According to the passage, the author believes that ________.

A．everyone should pursue perfection, whatever the cost

B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs

C．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery

D．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career

小題5:What does the author think of his height?

A．He hates to be called a short man.

B．He tries to increase his height through surgery.

C．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.

D．He just accepts it as it is.

People are being lured(引誘) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service, and don’t realize that they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data（資料） to advertisers that want to send targeted (目標(biāo)的)messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook, because people don’t really know what their personal details are worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you could keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends’ names—were set, by default（默認(rèn)）, to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “l(fā)ess satisfying experience.”
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senators rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade（侵犯）our privacy, it’s only the beginning，which is why I’m considering deactivating（撤銷） my account(賬號(hào)). Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t trust. That is too high a price to pay.
小題1:What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A．It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B．It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C．It earns money by selling its user’s personal data

D．It provides a lot of information to its users

小題2:What does the author say about most Facebook users?

A．They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook

B．They are unwilling to give up their personal information

C．They don’t identify themselves when using website

D．They care very little about their personal information

小題3:Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A．To help its users make more friends

B．To obey the Federal guidelines

C．To make money by attracting more users

D．To offer better service to its users

小題4:What does Senator Charles Schumer argue for?

A．Setting guidelines for advertising on websites

B．Setting rules for social-networking sites

C．Stopping sharing user’s personal information

D．Removing ads from all social-networking sites

小題5:Why does the author plan to stop using his Facebook account?

A．He is dissatisfied with its service.

B．He finds many of its users untrustworthy.

C．He doesn’t want his personal data badly used.

D．He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從1～15各題所給的A、B、C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
Some passengers won’t turn off their mobile phones or iPads during takeoff or landing. It happens on almost every         now. It’s time to turn off personal electronic devices when the plane’s door        . However, there’s always at least one person who keeps talking, texting, playing, watching or emailing — and         strict orders to power down during flights.
“People have become so         to those devices, and a lot of people         whether they really need to turn them off,” says an airhostess from Southwest Airlines.
Is turning off the devices really         in the first place? Lots of passengers have doubted about the         of leaving devices on. They think one cell or message or game isn’t going to         down the plane.
Indeed, there’s no         scientific evidence that having devices powered on during takeoff and landing would cause a        , only that there is the potential of a problem.
In the US, pilots are allowed to use certain electronic devices during takeoff and landing, but if passengers’       devices are tested at the same time, it may lead to wrong warnings and         readings on the aircraft instruments. In some studies researchers found mobile phones could         global-positioning satellite systems or other aircraft systems. Though the effects are         slight, they could result in disaster.
If even the         possibility of disaster exists, it’s better to turn them off during takeoff and landing.

小題1:	A．seat B．flight C．passenger D．device

小題2:	A．opens B．closes C．turns D．moves

小題3:	A．giving B．obeying C．ignoring D．receiving

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ddicted B．connected C．opposed D．exposed

小題5:	A．decide B．choose C．understand D．question

小題6:	A．reliable B．necessary C．dangerous D．excellent

小題7:	A．fact B．value C．danger D．price

小題8:	A．knock B．bring C．shut D．fall

小題9:	A．large B．great C．firm D．heavy

小題10:

A．problem B．difficulty C．question D．mistake

小題11:

A．small B．expensive C．various D．colorful

小題12:

A．clear B．right C．bad D．false

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)ffect B．operate C．control D．change

小題14:

A．unusually B．strangely C．exactly D．seemingly

小題15:

A．remotest B．biggest C．best D．worst

In China, people usually set off firecrackers to celebrate Spring Festival. But this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei was asked by a reporter in an interview. He said that his friends and he hadn’t set off a single firecracker.
“We all suffered from last month’s smog(霧霾). If we don’t call an end to the firecracker, the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday.” Said Zhang Wei. He put up a notice in his community in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. In the notice, he called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.
Lots of parents agreed with Zhang Wei’s idea. They said that they hated the noise of firecrackers. The noise used to wake up their babies too early. The babies really needed quiet mornings,
More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said that the new celebrations sounded fashionable.
“My family didn’t buy any fireworks this year. Instead, we donated the money to charity. It’s good for the environment and charity as well.” Internet user “Fighter” wrote on Sina Weibo.
小題1:How do people usually celebrate Spring Festival in China?

A．By setting off firecrackers.

B．By donating the money to charity.

C．By not wasting food.

D．By putting up a notice.

小題2:Lots of parents hated the noise of firecrackers because____.

A．they couldn’t afford to buy them.

B．firecrackers were too expensive.

C．the noise might wake up their babies.

D．firecrackers might cause fire

小題3:More people decided _____.

A．not to get together

B．not to set off firecrackers

C．not to throw away more food

D．to call an end to all the celebrations

小題4:What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Don’t Waste Food	B．Spring Festival Celebrations
C．Spring Festival Goes Green	D．Firecrackers and Noise

You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “l(fā)earn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.
小題1:Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.

A．a(chǎn)re more flexible mentally

B．a(chǎn)re slow in the development of talking

C．have a poorer working memory

D．a(chǎn)re smarter in understanding abstract concept

小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans

B．British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age

C．21% of US children study a foreign language in the school

D．not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages

小題3:What does the underlined phrase “give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．a(chǎn)ttach importance to

B．have talent for

C．invest money in

D．have demand for

小題4:Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?

A．Mandarin and Greek.

B．English, German and French.

C．Chinese, French and Spanish.

D．Chinese, German and Greek.

小題5:What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.

On the high-speed train Avignon to Paris, my husband and I landed in the only remaining seats on the train, in the middle of a car, directly opposite a Frenchwoman of middle years. It was an extremely uncomfortable arrangement to be looking straight into the eyes of a stranger. My husband and I pulled out books. The woman produced a large makeup case and made up her face. Except for a lunch break, she continued this activity for the entire three-hour trip. Every once in a while she surveyed the car with a bright-eyed glance, but never once did she catch my eye. My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.
I was amused, but some people would have felt uncomfortable , even repulsed(厭惡的）.there is something about making up in public that calls up strong emotional reactions. Partly it’s a question of hygiene. And it’s a matter of degree. Making up --- a private act--- has a way of neglecting the presence of others. I was once seated at a party with a model-actress who immediately waved a silly brush and began dusting her face at the table, demonstrating that while she was next to me, she was not with me.
In fact, I am generally prohibited from making up in public, except when I am in the company of cosmetics moment. In a gathering more professional than social, I would do so.
Kathy Peiss, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says that nose-powdering in the office was an occasion for outrage in 1920’s and 30’s. Deploring the practice as a waste of company time, trade journals advises managers to discourage it among workers. Peiss theorizes that it was female’s making up in what has been an all-male field that disturb some gentlemen.
Peiss tells me that after the 30’s , pulling out a make-up case was no longer an issue. It became an accepted practice. I asked if she feels free to apply lipstick at a professional lunch herself. Sounding mildly shocked, she says she would save that for the privacy of her car afterward. Why? Because it would be “a gesture of inappropriate feminity(女性化）.” One guess is that most professional women feel this way. There is evidence of the popularity of the new lipsticks that remain in place all day without retouching.
小題1:According to the author, “My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.” (Line 6, Para.1) most probably means “________”.

A．We were treated with an expressionless face.

B．We looked at the French woman expressionlessly

C．We used books as a wall to avoid the woman’s eyes

D．We were of no existence in the French woman’s eyes

小題2:In the author’s opinion, she _______.

A．a(chǎn)llows public making up on certain occasions

B．feels comfortable when making up in public

C．only makes up on social occasions

D．makes up before any professional gatherings

小題3:According to Peiss, nose powdering in an office was criticized mainly for the reason that ____.

A．normal office work was disturbed

B．it discouraged women’s interest in career

C．make dominance was emphasized there

D．it distracted make workers’ focus on work

小題4:Why do most professional women give up using lipsticks in public?

A．Because they are worried about being looked down upon

B．Because it emphasizes their female features in wrong situations

C．Because it implies women’s disadvantages in academic fields

D．Because they are ashamed to be seen making up in front of males/

小題5:It can be inferred that in a highly open society, the differences between men and women ______.

A．have attracted little attention

B．hinder the social development

C．a(chǎn)re attractive topics in talk shows

D．still call for great concern

We can begin our discussion of “population as a global issue” with what most person mean when they discuss “ the population problem”: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ a similar matter that linked demographic(人口統(tǒng)計(jì)學(xué)）growth to “ a long, thin power fuse that burns steadily from time to time until it finally reaches the limit, and explodes”.
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history. We find that population have been really stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, where infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to know. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high rate of death.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000B.C. till approximately 1650 A.D. And a period of rapid growth since 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased form some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2020 there will be 8 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000B.C. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added very six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.
小題1:According to the passage, “population as a global issue” ____.

A．is quite unlike the population problem and thus doesn’t need our concern

B．focuses on tracking down the reason of rapid population growth

C．deals with the same problem aroused by the population problem

D．will manage the population growth problem from global perspectives

小題2:It can be inferred from the example of a power fuse that _____.

A．too much population will one day lead to the doom of human beings

B．the trend of population growth will keep unsteady until the destruction of Earth

C．demographic growth will follow a certain pattern of ups and downs

D．it is likely in the near future that population will reduce gradually

小題3:What leads to a stable growth of population for most of human history?

A．Species competition

B．Low fertility

C．Tribal fights

D．High rate of death

小題4:The reason for a rapid growth of population lies in the fact that ______.

A．people are permitted to have more children

B．people can live better than before

C．newborn babies die less than before

D．we have found the secret of longevity

小題5:How many people are born every six hours at present, according to the author?

A．Eighty million.	B．Eight thousand
C．Fifty thousand	D．Five million

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare's time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present­day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
小題1:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.

B．There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.

C．It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.

D．People learn English for a variety of reasons.

小題2:According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

A．It was popular during Shakespeare's time.

B．It is used in former British colonies.

C．It serves the needs of its native speakers.

D．It is a world language that is used for international communication.

小題3:What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?

A．The ability to read a newspaper.

B．It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.

C．Being a multilingual.

D．Being a native speaker.

小題4:What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?

A．Those geographically close to the United States.

B．Those interested in the culture of the United States.

C．Former colonies of Great Britain.

D．Countries where international conferences are held.