College is a lifetime investment (投資) — the gift of a college education can open the door to a world of opportunity for your child or grandchild. Savings（儲(chǔ)蓄）, even not so many at a time, can make a big difference.
With the cost of a college education continuing to rise, the key is to start saving early and regularly. By saving a set amount at set times, your money can grow as your child does. According to the College Board, the average cost for four-year public colleges has increased by nearly 51% over the last 10 years and these costs will almost certainly continue to rise. Saving for college can help with the increasing cost of a college education and help you be well prepared when your child is ready for college.
Saving for your child’s college education is an investment in their future. The savings you make today will pay off in increased earnings in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn an average of $1 million more than high school graduates during their careers. The value of your investment in a college education will continue to grow for a lifetime.
Set your college saving goals realistically. You may not be able to save enough for all four years’ fees, but you could save enough to give your child the right start.
More and more families depend on student loans(貸款) to pay for college. By saving for college, families will have less burden of paying off loans and help their children leave school without worrying about paying off loans.
小題1:From the second paragraph we can learn that_______________.

A．the College Board increased public college costs

B．public college costs will increase by 51% in the next ten years

C．it’s not too late to start saving when your child is ready for college

D．saving can help deal with the rising cost of college education

小題2:Savings for college education _____________.

A．will increase in the value in the future	B．make one earn a lot
C．help create good jobs	D．a(chǎn)re wise for businessmen to invest

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about saving for college?

A．You should save to help children get scholarships more easily.

B．It’s better to increase the savings as the child grows.

C．It’s better to save early and regularly.

D．You should set a further and bigger saving goal.

小題4:Who are the expected readers of the passage?

A．Parents.

B．High school students.

C．Educators

D．Bankers.

小題5:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．When to Save for Children’s College Costs

B．How to Make a Good Investment

C．Why We Should Save for Children’s College Costs

D．How Much Four-Year College Costs

There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effective coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat（整潔的）and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation(猶豫) and consideration. No matter what the school’ s policy is, there are only specific essential(基本的) pieces to the wardrobe（服裝） that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality(個(gè)性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.
小題1:What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to dress properly.

B．The history of school uniforms.

C．The advantages of school uniforms.

D．How to deal with pressure in school.

小題2:Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________________.

A．is just a tradition that students should follow

B．makes students feel less pressure in study

C．helps students put more effort into their studies

D．makes students lose their independence and identity

小題3:The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “___________”.

A．a(chǎn) school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money

B．a(chǎn) school uniform should be worn every day

C．parents will have to go to the bank many times

D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform

小題4:We can infer from the text that school uniforms _________.

A．a(chǎn)re not popular with fashion designers

B．were not accepted by parents in the past

C．will be designed by students themselves

D．will be more fashionable in the future

小題5:The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ___________.

A．negative

B．supportive

C．doubtful

D．unclear

Ever since man began to use the telephone, there have been new problems arising from the carrying of messages. At first, each message was carried by a pair of overhead wires. As a result, telephone exchanges were soon surrounded by thousands of wires. The wires were then replaced by cables (電纜)，each containing many pairs of wires. Each cable is capable of carrying many messages. These cables, laid underground, replaced the overhead wires.
The more extensive telephone services have become, the more demand for these services has increased, particularly the demand for long-distance services. In China, for example, this growth is now over 30% every year. Long-distance telephone exchanges are usually in crowded cities, where is not easy to lay new labels for expanding services.
The use of radio to send telephone message and to link all telephone exchanges makes it possible to get rid of overhead wires and some underground cables.
Now man has invented the microwave system ( 微波系統(tǒng) ). In a microwave system messages from various places can be brought together, and then they are sent out and received by radio. After that, the messages are split into their original form. Finally, they are sent to the places where they are going to be sent.
小題1:The word “message” ( in paragraph 1) is close in meaning to “______”.

A．electricity

B．industry

C．information

D．wave

小題2:A cable is different from an overhead wire, because it ________.

A．is made of wood

B．needs more exchange

C．carries more messages

D．is much longer

小題3:What does the word extensive mean？

A．growing

B．using

C．holding

D．understanding

小題4:The best title for the passage would be “________”.

A．The Telephone and Its Past

B．From the Wire to the Microwave System

C．The Needs for Better Telephones

D．How to Use the Telephone

The rat is named Lola and she’s at the top of her class of risk-running animals being trained to smell out landmines (地雷) in Colombia, home to the world’s highest number of mine-related deaths and injuries last year. Of the victims, many are children who died in the accidents while walking to school or playing in the countryside.
The smartest rat among the first six that the government is teaching to locate landmines equipment planted by rebels(叛亂者) has a 90 percent success rate in locating landmines material in her lab training.
Police animal trainers, tired of seeing their landmines-smelling dogs blown up by stepping on mines, hope the white-furred, pink-eyed creature will lead her classmates through coming open field tests and then into the country mine fields before the end of the year. It takes about 400 grams of pressure to detonate (引爆) a mine while Lola only weighs about 220 grams. “The dogs can easily set off the landmines, sometimes killing people nearby,” they said.
Police animal trainer Jose Pineda says that rats have more sensitive noses than dogs, which should allow them to better smell out mines in difficult terrain (地形).
Plus, it takes the police about six months to train mine-smelling dogs. Training the rats is expected to take about half that time once the program is established.
Trainers think that they are much smarter than the dogs. The second-best scorer in the laboratory is Lucrecia, with an 83 percent success rate. Males, such as one named   Runcho, have fallen behind until now but may do better in the coming field tests. Pineda said that the next step of training will present new challenges to the rats as they are sure to meet distractions (分心的事) in the open.
小題1:What do the underlined words “the accidents” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Children were shot while playing outside.

B．A buried landmine was walked on and set off.

C．A rebel blew up a landmine and killed children.

D．Children got hurt in traffic accidents on the way to school.

小題2:Which of the following is NOT a reason why rats are chosen to find buried landmines?

A．They have a good sense of smell.

B．They are too light to set off buried landmines.

C．They can smell all kinds of explosive materials.

D．They cost people less time in terms of training

小題3:What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Rats will perform as well in the open air as in the lab.

B．Until now, female rats are better than the male ones.

C．Trainers should have chosen only female rats for the program.

D．Because they are foolish, dogs are not preferred for the program.

小題4:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Dogs Bring Peace to the People in Colombia

B．Colombia Develops a New Way to Reduce Deaths

C．Buried Landmines are a Great Danger to Colombians

D．Colombian Police Train Rats to Sniff Out Landmines

Medicine comes in lots of different packages. Painkillers in a tablet can make your headache go away. Antibiotic cream (抗菌素膏) from a tube can prevent your cuts from becoming infected. But can medicine come packaged in chicken eggs?
A team of scientists from Scotland say “yes”. They’ve engineered special chickens that lay eggs with disease-treating drugs inside. 
These eggs come from chickens that have been engineered to produce certain drugs inside their egg whites.
These drugs are made of molecules called proteins(蛋白質(zhì)). Animals make thousands of proteins — they’re the main element in skin, hair, milk and meat. Since animals can make proteins easily, they’re good candidates (候選者) for making protein drugs.
Researchers have already made cows, sheep and goats produce protein drugs in their milk. But chickens are cheaper to take care of, need less room, and grow faster than these other animals. Those qualities could make chickens a better choice to become living drug factories, says Simon Lillico of the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland.
Lillico and a team of researchers changed chickens’ DNA — the code that tells cells how to make proteins — so that the birds’ cells made two protein drugs. One drug can treat skin cancer, and the other treats a nerve disease called multiple sclerosis (多發(fā)性硬化).
The scientists changed the chickens’ DNA so that the birds made these drugs only in their egg whites. This protects the chickens’ bodies from the drugs’ possible harmful effects and makes it easy for scientists to collect the drugs.
小題1:If you cut your finger, you may use ________ to cure it.

A．painkillers in a tablet	B．a(chǎn)ntibiotic cream from a tube
C．chicken eggs	D．protein drugs

小題2:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Scientists from Scotland have succeeded in packing medicine into chicken eggs.

B．The drugs are made of molecules called proteins.

C．Scientists chose chickens for their experiments because chicken eggs taste delicious.

D．The animals are good candidates for making protein drugs.

小題3:The drugs in special chicken eggs can ________.

A．treat lung cancer	B．help reduce headache
C．change people’s DNA	D．treat multiple sclerosis

小題4:We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．eating eggs is the best choice for the patients now

B．scientists changed the chicken’s DNA and put all the drugs in chicken eggs

C．we may eat special eggs as drugs when we are sick in the future

D．the drugs produce harmful effects on the chicken’s bodies

小題5:The best title for the passage is ________.

A．Chicken Eggs to Replace Medicine	B．Chicken Eggs as Drug
C．Chicken Eggs and Medicine	D．Chicken Eggs and Animal Milk

Sea turtles have been on Earth for millions of years, but they may soon die out. The main  1  to them is people who kill them for food, according to Dr. Wallace J. Nichols of the University of California.
But the latest news may   2  turtle hunting: Dr. Nichols has found that sea turtles   3   a lot of pollution from the ocean. This pollution is unhealthy for both turtles and humans. It can cause __4__ damage to their bodies and lead to death. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat. 
In the US, most people have never eaten turtle. This is because turtles are   5  by the United States law, which makes it   6  to harm or kill these amazing animals. “But many people in other countries still eat them,” explains Nichols. “Our first   7  was to save turtles; now we must save   8  too.”
Davis said he also wants to send out a bigger   9   that we should protect the oceans. “The health of the ocean, animals in the ocean, and our own health are all  10 . A clean ocean is really good for us too because of the food we eat from there.”

小題1:	A．doubt B．stream C．danger D．worry

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)ccelerate B．slow C．improve D．change

小題3:	A．cause B．expand C．a(chǎn)bsorb D．reduce

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ccidental B．occasional C．unknown D．serious

小題5:	A．qualified B．protected C．restricted D．produced

小題6:	A．impossible B．difficult C．illegal D．a(chǎn)bnormal

小題7:	A．goal B．impression C．difficulty D．cost

小題8:	A．Earth B．ocean C．people D．a(chǎn)nimals

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)dvertisement B．message C．sign D．problem

小題10:

A．concerned B．disturbed C．developed D．connected

The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live－affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演員) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment－roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back－for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.
小題1:The passage is mainly about ________.

A．future travel	B．big ideas and dreams
C．a(chǎn)dvanced technology	D．the influence of travel

小題2:We learn from the passage that flying cars ________.

A．will operate only in the sky

B．will be more expensive than common cars

C．will have few bad effects on the environment

D．won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have

小題3: With Jet Packs, we can do all the following EXCEPT ________.

A．a(chǎn)ttend a party	B．clean high windows
C．go shopping	D．have a long journey

小題4:As for driverless taxis, we can infer that ________.

A．we can go wherever we want in them

B．they will be both convenient and safe

C．it costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars

D．they will be operated by computers as well as by people

Teenagers at one German school are learning how to achieve happiness alongside other traditional   35  such as maths and languages.
The class sits in a circle with their eyes shut and they count from one to ten: someone starts, the   36  voice comes from the far right, a third from the other side.
The aim of the game is to   37  for an opportunity to shout out the   38  without clashing (相撞) with another voice or leaving a pause. On the first try,  39  of the young Germans try to be first, while a few are too shy to join in. But by the fifth   40  , they develop a rhythm (節(jié)奏) . The message gives other people space but also claims your own. This is a requirement for social well-being.
Unlike schools in other nations, German schools do not usually have school sports teams or seek to build school spirit. Many teens admit they are   41  and confused, but school is not usually the place to find relief.
The Willy Hellpach School in Heidelberg is the first in the nation to develop a happiness   42  It is   43  for 17-19years old students to prepare for university entrance exams. "The course isn't there to make you happy," Ernst Fritz-Schubert, the school principal, warned pupils, "   44  rather to help you discover the ways to become happy. "
Cooking a meal together will be one of the class   45  , along with improving body language under the   46  of two professional actresses.
The course is taught for three periods a week. Despite the happy subject, the pupils themselves insist it is no laughing matter.
"In the first period, we had to each say something   47  about another member of the class and about ourselves. No laughing at people or teasing," said Fanny, 17.
The message is that self-esteem (自尊) improves   48  too.
Research by the school shows it is not the first to start happiness classes and they also exist at some US universities, but are mainly based on positive thinking, using   49  from studies of depression.
"That would be too one-sided for us. We want to show how decent (好的) food or exercise can help too," the principal said.

小題1:	A．subjects B．objects C．customs D．habits

小題2:	A．sweet B．next C．last D．loud

小題3:	A．look B．see C．find D．listen

小題4:	A．name B．person C．number D．treasure

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)ll B．few C．most D．none

小題6:	A．round B．limit C．sheet D．zone

小題7:	A．happy B．lonely C．curious D．pleased

小題8:	A．movement B．class C．course D．a(chǎn)pproach

小題9:	A．intended B．made C．managed D．a(chǎn)pplied

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)nd B．but C．so D．or

小題11:

A．tests B．exams C．exercises D．homework

小題12:

A．guidance B．lookout C．permission D．cooperation

小題13:

A．backward B．positive C．negative D．rude

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)tmosphere B．a(chǎn)chievement C．happiness D．score

小題15:

A．inspections B．instructions C．motives D．findings

In the past, man did not have to think about protection of the environment. There were very few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited.
Today things are different. The world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, human life on the earth will not survive.
Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing methods, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on land. Yet, we continue to use more powerful machines to cut down more and more trees.
We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in most countries waste is still put into rivers, but there are few laws to stop this.
We also know that if the population of the countries in the world is to rise at the present rate in a few years, there will not be enough food.
What can we do to solve these problems?
If we eat more vegetables and less meat, there will be more food available for everyone. Land that is used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
Our natural resources will last longer if we learn to recycle them.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Finally, if all of us think about the problem, we will have a better and cleaner planet in the future.
小題1:This passage mainly tells us about ______.

A．the problems we are facing today about environment and the ways to solve them

B．the unlimited natural resources in the world

C．our rivers are being polluted by waste from factories

D．the ways early man protected the environment

小題2: Which of the following is NOT true?

A．If we eat more vegetables, more food can be saved.

B．In the past, there was no need for people to think about environmental protection.

C．If we keep on cutting trees, forests will disappear.

D．We shouldn’t take more and more fish out of the sea, or there will soon be no fish left.

小題3:What is implied (暗示) in the passage?

A．Man is cleverer than any other animal.

B．Man will destroy himself if he doesn’t solve the problem.

C．Modern fishing methods are helpful in our fishing industry.

D．We should make more laws in order to survive.

小題4:From the passage we can see that the world’s natural resources ______.

A．will never be used up	B．a(chǎn)re being polluted
C．a(chǎn)re as plentiful as in the past	D．a(chǎn)re being used up very quickly

The argument over a Philadelphia school district accused of secretly spying on pupils through laptop cameras became fiercer today after it acknowledged obtaining more than 56,000 images of its students, many of them in their homes.
When the scandal (丑聞) first broke, it was believed that only a few pictures had been taken of one pupil, Blake Robbins. But court papers released this week showed that thousands of images were taken of Robbins and other students.
Robbins and his parents have filed an action against the school district. Court papers from the Robbins’s lawyers said that at first it was thought that the laptops’ technology had produced a few images but they found more than 400 of Robbins, including images “showing him partially undressed and sleeping”.
Robbins said he did not know why the spying device was activated (激活) as his laptop had not been reported stolen or missing. Other students whose pictures were taken said their laptops had not been reported stolen or missing either.
An administrator at the school, one of the few with authority to track the laptops, remained silent, refusing to answer questions.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 38,500 of the images came from six laptops that had been reported missing from the Harriton gym in September 2008. These apparently helped the police catch a suspect. Another set of images were from cameras in laptops which employees responsible for tracking failed or forgot to turn off.
The court papers, filed by Robbins’ lawyers, said that the technology was activated between 20 October and 4 November last year, with most of the 400 shots of him while he was in his home, and included his family. “There were additional webcam pictures and screen shots taken of Blake Robbins which, up to now, have not been recovered because the evidence was deleted by the IT department,” the court papers say.
One of Robbins’ lawyers is trying to obtain access to the administrator’s home computer to confirm whether she downloaded any of the pictures. The court papers indicate she may be a voyeur (窺隱私者) though it has not been proved.
小題1:We can learn from the passage that _________.

A．Robbins’ parents remained calm over the scandal

B．Robbins had his laptop stolen before the scandal

C．the laptops’ technology produced some images

D．the private rights of the students were offended

小題2:What did The Philadelphia Inquirer say about the case?

A．The police had found some evidence.

B．Most of the laptops in Harriton gym were missing.

C．Employees in charge of tracking deliberately left the laptops on.

D．There was obviously more than one suspect related to the case.

小題3:According to the court papers, the administrator _________.

A．may have spied her students on purpose

B．may have broken into Robbin’s house

C．has downloaded many students’ pictures

D．has removed evidence from computers

小題4: What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Modern technology has negative effects on our lives.

B．Students in Philadelphia are accustomed to being spied on secretly.

C．A Philadelphia school is charged with spying students through laptop cameras.

D．The American government should take measures to improve teachers’ qualities.