Passage2
Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
Whenaluminumwasfirstproducedaboutahundredandfiftyyearsago,itwassodifficulttoseparateformtheoresinwhichitwasfoundthatitspricewashigherthanthatofgold.Thepriceremainedhighuntilanewprocesswasdiscoveredforrefiningthemetalwiththeaidofelectricityapproximatelythreequartersofacenturylater.Thenewmethodwassomuchcheaperthataluminumbecausepracticalformanypurposes,oneofwhichwasmakingpotsandpans.
Aluminumislightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms.Bymixingitwithothermetals,scientistshavebeenabletoproduceavarietyofalloys,someofwhichhavethestrengthofsteelbutweighonlyonethirdasmuch.
Today,theusesofaluminumareinnumerable.Perhapsitsmostimportantuseisintransportation.Aluminumisfoundintheengineofautomobiles,inthehullsofboats.Itisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.Infact,thehuge“airbus”planeswouldprobablyneverhavebeenproducedifaluminumdidnotexist.Bymakingvehicleslighterinweightaluminumhasgreatlyreducedtheamountoffuelneededtomovethem,Aluminumisalsobeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustryinsomecountries.
Sincealuminumissuchaversatile(多用的)metal,itisfortunatethatbauxite(铝土矿),whichisoneofitschiefsources,isalsooneoftheearth’smostplentifulsubstances.Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.
6.Thepriceofaluminumwassharplyreducedwhenpeoplediscoveredanewrefiningprocesswiththeaidof.
A.windB.solarenergyC.hydraulicpowerD.electricity
7.Aluminumis.
A.lightweight,rustproofbutnoteasilyshapedintodifferentforms
B.heavyweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms
C.lightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms
D.lightweightandeasilyshapedintodifferentformsbutitiseasytobecomerusty
8.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrue?
A.Aluminumiswidelyusedintransportation.
B.Aluminumisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.
C.Aluminumisbeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustry.
D.Aluminumisnotusedinitspureform.
9.Aluminumisfoundonearthmostlyintheformof.
A.puremetalB.bauxiteC.goldD.liquid
10.Whatisthepassagetalkingabout?
A.Thefeaturesofaluminumanditsfunctions.B.Theprocessofaluminum.
C.Thediscoveryofaluminum.D.Thepromisingfutureofaluminum.
Passage3
Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
Thecowboyistheheroofmanymovies,.Heis,eventoday,asymbolofcourageandadventure.Butwhatwasthelifeofthecowboyreallylike?
Thecowboy’sjobisclearfromthewordcowboy.Cowboyweremenwhotookcareofcowsandothercattle.ThecattlewereintheWestandinTexas.PeopleinthecitiesoftheEastwantedbeefthesecattle.Trainscouldtakethecattleeast.Butfirstthecattlehadtogettothetrains.Partofthecowboy’sjobwastotakethecattlehundredsofmilestotherailroadtown.Thetripswerecalledcattledrivers.Acattledriveusuallytookseveralmonths.Cowboysrodeforsixteenhoursaday.Becausetheyrodesomuch,eachcowboybroughtalongabouteighthorses.Acowboychangedhorsesseveraltimeseachday.
Thecowboyshadtomakesurethatcattlearrivedsafely.Beforestartingonadrive,thecowboysbrandedthecattle.Theyburnedamarkonthecattletoshowwhotheybelongedto.Butthesemarksdidn’tstoprustlers,orcattlethieves.Cowboyshadtoprotectthecattlefromrustlers.Rustlersmadethedangeroustripevenmoredangerous.
Eventhoughtheirworkwasverydifficultanddangerous,cowboysdidnotearnmuchmoney.Theywerepaidbadly.Yetcowboyslikedtheirwayoflife.Theylivedinawildandopencountry.Theylivedalifeofadventureandfreedom.
11.Acowboyisasymbolof.
A.courageandadventureB.ahardlifeandbigpay
C.moviesinthepastD.cowsandothercattle
12.Thecowboys’jobwas.
A.tobeaheroinreallifeB.tobeaheroofthemovie
C.totakecareofcattleD.tobeadangerousrustler
13.Duringacattledriver,cowboystookagroupofcowsfromawildandopencountryto.
A.theWeststatesandTexasB.thecitiesoftheEastStates
C.thepeoplewhoeatbeefincitiesD.therailroadtownshundredmilesaway
14.Ontheirwayofcattledrivers,thecowboysprotectedthecattleby.
A.burningamarkontheircowsB.keepinganeyeoncattlethieves
C.makingthetripmoredangerousD.lookingaftereightcowseachperson
15.Cowboysenjoyedthemselvesbecause.
A.theylikedtheirwayoflifeB.theymadealotofmoney
C.theyhadavarydifficultjobD.theywereheroesinmovies
PartVWriting
Directions:InthispartyouarerequiredtowriteanessayaboutSavingEnergiesandResources.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsandbaseyourcompositionontheoutline(giveninChinese)below:
1、随着社会的发展,厉行节约越来越重要;
2、生活中许多方面都可以节约;
3、每个人都应该养成节约的好习惯。
Wecanbeginourdiscussionof“populationasglobalissue”withwhatmostpersonsmeanwhentheydiscuss“thepopulationproblem”:toomanypeopleonearthandatoorapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.Thefactsarenotindispute,Itwasquiterighttoemploytheanalogythatlikeneddemographicgrowthto“along,thinpowderfusethatburnssteadilyandhaltinglyuntilitfinallyreachesthechargeandexplodes.”
Tounderstandthecurrentsituation,whichischaracterizedbyrapidincreasesinpopulation,itisnecessarytounderstandthehistoryofpopulationtrends.Rapidgrowthisacomparativelyrecentphenomenon.Lookingbackatthe8,000yearsofdemographichistory,wefindthatpopulationshavebeenvirtuallystableorgrowingveryslightlyformostofhumanhistory.Formostofourancestors,lifewashard,oftennasty,andveryshort.Therewashighfertilityinmostplaces,butthiswasusuallybalancedbyhighmortality.Formostofhumanhistory,itwasseldomthecasethatoneintenpersonswouldlivepastforty,whileinfancyandchildhoodwereespeciallyriskyperiods.Often,societieswereincleardangerofextinctionbecausedeathratescouldexceedtheirbirthrates.Thus,thepopulationproblemthroughoutmostofhistorywashowtopreventextinctionofthehumanrace.
Thispatternisimportanttonotice.Notonlydoesitputthecurrentproblemsofdemographicgrowthintoahistoricalperspective,butitsuggeststhatthecauseofrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyearsisnotasuddenenthusiasmformorechildren,butanimprovementintheconditionsthattraditionallyhavecausedhighmortality.
Demographichistorycanbedividedintotwomajorperiods:atimeoflong,slowgrowthwhichextendedfromabout8,000BC.tillapproximatelyAD.1650.Inthefirstperiodofsome9600years,thepopulationincreasedfromsome8millionto500millionin1650.Between1650andthepresent,thepopulationhasincreasedfrom500milliontomorethan4billion.Anditisestimatedthatbytheyear2000therewillbe6.2billionpeoplethroughouttheworld.Onewaytoappreciatethisdramaticdifferenceinsuchabstractnumbersistoreducethetimeframetosomethingthatismoremanageable.Between8000BCand1650,anaverageofonly50,000personswasbeingaddedannuallytotheworld’spopulationeachyear.Atpresent,thisnumberisaddedeverysixhours.Theincreaseisabout80,000,000personsannually.
1.Whichofthefollowingdemographicgrowthpatternismostsuitableforthelongthinpowderfuseanalogy?
A.Avirtuallystableorslightlydecreasingperiodandthenasuddenexplosionofpopulation.
B.Aslowgrowthforalongtimeandthenaperiodofrapid,dramaticincrease.
C.Toomanypeopleonearthandafewrapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.
D.Alongperiodwhendeathratesexceedsbirthratesandthenashortperiodwithhigherfertilityandlowermortality.
2.Duringthefirstperiodofdemographichistory,societieswereoftenindangerofextinctionbecause___.
A.onlyoneintenpersonscouldlivepast40.
B.therewashighermortalitythanfertilityinmostplaces.
C.itwastoodangeroustohavebabiesduetothepoorconditions.
D.ourancestorshadlittleenthusiasmformorechildren.
3.Whichstatementistrueaboutpopulationincrease?
A.Theremightbeanincreaseof2.2billionpersonsfromnowtotheyear2000.
B.About50,000babiesareborneverysixhoursatpresent.
C.Between8000BCandthepresent,thepopulationincreaseisabout80,000,000personseachyear.
D.Thepopulationincreasedfasterbetween8000BCand1650thanbetween1650andthepresent.
4.Theauthorofthepassageintendsto___.
A.warnpeopleagainstthepopulationexplosioninthenearfuture.
B.comparethedemographicgrowthpatterninthepastwiththatafter1650.
C.findoutthecauseforrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyears.
D.presentusaclearandcompletepictureofthedemographicgrowth.
5.Theword“demographic”inthefirstparagraphmeans___.
A.statisticsofhuman.
B.surroundingsstudy.
C.accumulationofhuman.
D.developmentofhuman.