I’m sorry it’s ______ my power to make a final decision on the project.

A．over  B．a(chǎn)bove       C．off    D．beyond

—Who is making so much noise in the garden?

—_________ the children.

A．It is   B．They are   C．That is      D．There are

—Julia said she sent you a birthday card yesterday. Have you got it?

—Oh, really! I haven’t ______ my mailbox yet.

A．examined         B．reviewed          C．tested              D．checked

Mrs. Smith was so         about everything that no servants could please her .

A．exact        B．particular         C．special      D．specific

His letter was so puzzling that I could hardly make any __________.

A．explanation       B．meaning    C．sense        D．guess

Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests  1  .

       In China,  2  teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only  3 themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main _4_ to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16,  5 teens take their driving test. When they have their 6 , they drive into the grown-up world.

       “7 wants to ride the cheese bus to school, " said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She recalled the pressure 8  from kids from wealthier families. "It's like you're not cool 9   you don't have a car,” she said.

       10  recent researches, 41 percent of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, 11 from 23 percent in 1995. Although most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help 12 .

       Not all families can  13  cars for their children. In cities with subways and  14  parking, some teenagers don't want cars. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than  15 , it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.

       16 police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents   17 before letting their kids drive. Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to  18  his learner's permit.

       Chad said he has accepted his parents' decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. "They say that I am   19 , " he said．"But I'd rather be alive than driving, and I don't really trust my friends on the road either."

       In China  20 more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become an important sign to becoming an adult?

1．A．passed                  B．overcome        C．happened        D．existed

2．A．unless                  B．while                   C．a(chǎn)s                      D．though

3．A．rate                      B．insist                  C．see                     D．resist

4．A．entry                    B．step                    C．pace                   D．stage

5．A．few                     B．more                  C．Chinese              D．American

6．A．license                 B．visa                    C．cheque               D．budget

7．A．Someone              B．Anyone               C．Everybody          D．Nobody

8．A．formerly               B．physically           C．especially            D．eventually

9．A．that                      B．unless                 C．once                  D．if

10．A．According to       B．Thanks to           C．Compared to       D．Devoted to

11．A．up                      B．down                 C．a(chǎn)lmost                D．only

12．A．earn                   B．sacrifice             C．pay                    D．buy

13．A．a(chǎn)ccept                B．supply                C．gather                D．a(chǎn)fford

14．A．limited                B．economical         C．free                    D．vain

15．A．independence      B．convenience        C．transportation      D．Or

16．A．So                     B．Also                   C．But                    D．Besides

17．A．refuse                B．pause                 C．continue             D．promise

18．A．insist on             B．leave alone          C．a(chǎn)pply for            D．put out

19．A．fortunate            B．willing                C．greedy                D．unlucky

20．A．with                 B．a(chǎn)lthough             C．a(chǎn)s                     D．while

Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.

Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.

Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗電視連續(xù)劇) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.

“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”

Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. “This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.

1．According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.

A．by educating its citizens                       B．by careful family planning

C．by developing TV programs                 D．by chance

2．According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.

A．haven’t attacked much importance to birth control

B．would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate

C．haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population

D．neglected the role of TV plays in family planning

3．Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.

A．they keep people sitting long hours watching TV

B．they have gradually changed people’s way of life

C．people are drawn to their attractive stories

D．they popularize birth control measures

4．What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?

A．The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.

B．The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.

C．Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)

D．A country’s production is limited by its population growth.

Yellowstone Weather

Yellowstone National Park is at high altitude(海拔). Most of the park is above 7,500 feet (2,275 meters).

Yellowstone's weather is unpredictable. In summer, it may be warm and sunny with temperatures in the high 70s. At night in any given month, the temperature may drop close to freezing. So it is best to come prepared for cold evenings and mornings, especially if you are camping or hiking. When you leave your campsite, please leave it prepared for possible thundershowers and wind.

A sunny warm day may become fiercely stormy with wind, rain, sleet and sometimes snow. Without enough clothing, and easy day hike or boat trip can turn into a battle for survival.

1．The author writes this passage most probably for those who plan to ________ in Yellowstone National Park.

     A．do research work                       B．take a business trip

     C．have sports games                         D．spend their holidays or take a tour

2．Which of the following best describes Yellowstone's weather?

       A．Yellowstone's weather is generally changeable and it snows most of the year.

    B．It's neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter.

    C．Weather in fall is pleasant and temperatures never fall below freezing.

     D．It's pretty warm in the day and very cool at night throughout the year.

3. If you are planning to spend your holidays in Yellowstone National Park in summer, what should you take with you?

     A．Just some light clothing such as T-shirts or skirts.

     B．Just some warm clothing such as sweaters and coats.

     C．Both light clothing and warm clothing.

     D．Either light clothing or warm clothing.

4．What does the underlined word "readings" refer to?

     A．literature works  B．books       C．a(chǎn)nnouncements              D．figures

Australia has very strict laws relating to the importation and possession of certain goods. Food, plant material and animal products from overseas--including many common souvenirs -could introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into Australia．Failing to declare quarantine items (需要檢疫的物品) on arrival could destroy our agriculture, tourism industries and special environment.

Every piece of luggage will be screened or x-rayed on arrival in Australia．So you must declare for inspection of all food, plant material and animal products to check that they are free of pests and diseases.

You must tick YES on the Informing Passenger Card (IPC) to declare if you are carrying any food, plant material or animal products. In signing the IPC, passengers who are making a legal declaration and failing to answer all questions truthfully can have serious consequences.

If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration:

* you will get caught;

* you could be fined over A $ 200 on-the-spot; or

* you could be prosecuted(起訴) and fined more than A $ 60,000 and risk up to 10 years imprisonment;

If you are not sure about the items you are carrying, ask a quarantine officer who will determine whether they are allowed into Australia.

1．The reason why you are asked to declare quarantine items on arrival is that _________.

    A．too many overseas products could destroy Australia's tourism industry.

    B．a(chǎn)nimal products are often the cause of various diseases.

    C．a(chǎn)s is known to us all, bad food can spread diseases easily.

    D．these items may carry dangerous pests or diseases into Australia.

2．You need to declare the following things EXCEPT _______ if you have them in your luggage.

A．some metal hairclips                           B．dried flowers   

C．some moon-cakes                              D．a(chǎn) bottle of honey

3．For what purpose is the passage written?

    A．To inform the passengers of the law on the exportation of goods.

    B．To warn the passengers not to take unsafe goods.

    C．To tell the passengers to Australia to have their quarantine items declared.

    D．To urge the passengers to protect the agriculture, tourism and environment.

4．If you don't declare quarantine items, ________.

    A．you can probably get away with it

    B．you are sure to be discovered and punished

    C．you can turn to the customs officers for help

    D．you can give them away to a quarantine officer

My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult. For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened．When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess (認錯) to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog my father carved from a piece of cheap wood．I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder. Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind．When I was twelve I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground．Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time. “I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.

1．What is the main subject of the passage?

A．The relationship between mark and Steve.

B．The important lesson Mark learned in school

C．Steve’s important role in Mark’s growing process.

D．Mark and Steve’s respect for living things.

2．It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, __________.

A．he felt surprised                                  B．he was light-hearted

C．he felt frightened                                 D．he knelt before her

3．In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?

A．Respect for personal property.              B．Respect for life.

C．Sympathy for people with problems.     D．The value of honesty.

4．According to the writer, which was the most important lesson Steve taught his young brother?

A．Respect for living things.                     B．Responsibility for one’s actions.

C．The value of the honesty.                     D．Care for the property of others.