You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit；now meet AGNES—the old person suit．

AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(換位體驗)System” and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old．“The business of old age demands new tools，”said Joseph Coughlin，director of the AgeLab．“While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants，young marketers never get that ‘Ah ha!’ moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car．That’s what AGNES provides．”

Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise．Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance，while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility．Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists，and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones．A helmet with straps(帶)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱)，and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer's step．

AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker．By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person．Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies，car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer．

“AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said．“She is a badly behaved lady who didn't eat and exercise very well．A secondary benefit we’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health．”

71. AGNES has been developed to ______ ．

A. make the users more comfortable  

B. 1et us understand old people better

C. help old people move more quickly 

D. produce new tools for the old-age business

72. According to the article，young marketers never       ．

A．feel the same way as old people do 

B．see the efforts old people make

C．ask what old people need and want 

D．say “Ah ha!” when they meet with difficulty

73. The 3rd paragraph mainly tells about       ．

A．how the AGNES wearer feels    B．how AGNES has been developed

C．how old people act             D．how AGNES works

74. “An updated walker”(underlined)most likely refers to     ．

A．someone who travels a lot

B．a physically limited old person

C．some equipment that helps old people walk

D．a company whose service involves old people

75. Which may be a fact resulting from the “secondary benefit” of AGNES?

A．Young people respect old people．   

B．Old-age business improves their service·

C．Old people eat and exercise well．   

D．Young people eat and exercise well．

Do you know about a series of books that say they are "for dummies"? These American self-help books have been translated into more than thirty nine languages including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish.

 "Dummy" is a word for a stupid person. The dummies books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. Tile books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as World History for Dummies, Rabbits for Dummies, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, and Wedding Planning for Dummies. The first such book, DOS for Dummies, was published in 1991. It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold.

The dummies, com website explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language.

There are more than one thousand different dummies books. A report in New York Times says that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance.

The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need--like information about diseases, education and cooking. People interest, in opera, car repair and wine can also find dummies books to help them. And there are even, more dummies books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year.

66. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Books for Dummies              B. The Easiest, the Best

C. Self-Help Books                 D. New Ideas behind the Books

67. According to the dummies, com website, people can      with the help of dummies books.

A. simplify some personal things    

B. do anything they want

C. become expert in any field       

D. learn any foreign language

68. The dummies books have been popular because          .

A. they provide just what is needed and are easy to understand

B. they provide abundant information on the concerning subject

C. people can learn to do anything with just one copy

D. people can save lots of money through self-teaching

69. According to New York Times, we know that books on        sell best.

A. technology and personal finance      

B. opera and car repairing

C. diseases and education              

D. cooking and world history

70. What call we learn from the passage?

A. The first dummies book was on Chinese cooking.

B. The dummies books will continue to be popular.

C. Fifty million different dummies books have been published.

D. The simple language was intended for child readers.

Malaysia has launched a fleet of women-only taxis，a project that follows pink-coloured train carriages and buses aimed at protecting women from harassment，reports said Sunday．Fifty women taxi drivers have started shuttling greater Kuala Lumpur(吉隆坡)on an on-call basis，and the government hopes the number of special taxis will expand to 400．

According to Heng Seai Kei，deputy minister for the state’s Women，F(xiàn)amily and Community Development，the taxis made travelling safer for women，as well as providing jobs for women who wanted to be taxi drivers．“We hope it will reduce the number of rape and robbery cases involving taxi drivers and female victims，” Heng said at the launch of the service．The idea was to have taxis that were “driven by women，for women”．

The service would also help create job opportunities for women，especially single mothers，housewives and pensioners，who were looking for another source of income for their family．The ministry and Abex Manufacturing Sdn Bhd are providing training and courses for those who were interested to become female taxi drivers，said Heng．

One of the taxi drivers Faridah Idris，38，said the service provided women a safer option to travel in．“Women passengers are normally more comfortable with US．For female drivers，there are always risks when picking up passengers，especially at night．With this project，both female drivers and passengers can feel safer,” she said．

Late last year, Malaysia’s state-owned bus company began running female-only buses on several routes in Kuala Lumpur during peak hours to help prevent sexual harassment on crowded public transport．They followed ladies-only pink train carriages launched on the transport system to give the women in the Muslim-majority country the option of travelling separately from men．

61. The underlined word “harassment” in the first paragraph refers to some kind of    .

A．unpleasant service                       

B．traffic accident

C．environmental pollution             

D．bad behavior

62. What is told about the taxi service in Kuala Lumpur?

A．Men drivers can’t take women passengers．

B．Men drivers can’t drive the women-only taxis，

C．Women drivers Can’t drive ordinary taxis．

D．No taxi can mix men and women passengers．

63. The women-only taxi fleet will employ      .

A．only experienced drivers           

B．only part-time drivers

C．some volunteer drivers                    

D．some newly-trained drivers

64. The new information we get from Faridah Idris’ words is that the project can    .

A．provide jobs for more women           

B．make women passengers safer

C．reduce the women drivers’ risks       

D．improve the transport service

65. A women-only transportation tool can probably be recognized easily by its    .

A．sound                B．colour         C．size         D．shape

The cheapest room and board in Jefferson City, Missouri，over the weekend was at the county(縣)jail(監(jiān)獄)，and 170 people gladly checked in．Cole County charged$30 a night for anyone who volunteered to go behind bars on Friday or Saturday night SO officials could give the new jail a test run before it opened for real this week．People from three states spent the night at the jail，including some lawyers and a couple celebrating their first anniversary．

“It was something they could experience without having to get a criminal record，”Cole County Sheriff(治安官)Greg White said．“They spent the night and gained all understanding that they would not want to ever do this again．”

Jailers tried to give the citizens the full experience．They were told to give up their jewelry, cell phones，and other personal belongings．They were booked and photographed and led into the jail commons．They could keep their cell doors open，but that trapped feeling was still there because the outer room doors were locked，said Bob Watson，60，a reporter for the Jefferson City News-Tribune who spent Friday night at the jail. “While it was not a true copy of jail，you got some sense of what it's like to hear that door lock behind you，”Watson said．

Two other feelings were boredom and a lack of choice，illustrated by the television being left on one channel and drowned out anyway by everybody talking．

Bed was a steel bunk with a thin mattress(墊)。Overhead，a 40-watt bulb stayed 1it through the night in each cell．Handy for guards to see inmates，but not helpful to good sleep．How about the food? Dinner Friday night included cheesy pasta with turkey bits and coffee cake．“I wouldn’t pay for it in a restaurant，but you won’t die trying to eat it，”Watson said．

56. The 170 people stayed in the county jail to     ．

A．make a holiday       B．get punishment 

C．do a research         D．make money

57. What’s the main idea of the 3rd paragraph?

A．The jailers performed their duty well．    

B．The jail’s test run proved successful．

C．The 170 had the feeling of real prisoners．

D．The 170 weren’t treated as real prisoners．

58. The underlined phrase “illustrated by…”is used to    ．

A．introduce a new topic          B．draw a conclusion

C．give an example                 D．show the result

59. The l70 people were able to    in the county jail．

A．make phone calls            B．sleep well   

C．go around freely             D．chat with others

60. How did Watson like the food?

A．He enjoyed it．                   

B．He didn’t like it．

C．He thought it equaled a restaurant’s．

D．He didn’t eat it at all．

Why can some people sleep through noises like a honking car or flushing toilet, while others are awakened by the lightest sound?

To find the answer, sleep researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted an unusual study of 12 self-described deep sleepers. After tests confirmed that the healthy volunteers were solid sleepers, they took part in a three-night study in the university’s sleep laboratory. The participants spent the night in a big and comfortable room. But the room also included four speakers positioned near the top of the bed.

During the night, the deep sleepers were subjected to 14 different recorded sounds, like street traffic, toilets flushing, and an airplane flying overhead. Next door, the researchers monitored their sleep patterns and brain waves.

As expected, all of the participants slept relatively well, but there were differences in how they responded to the noisy interruptions. Some of the sleepers didn’t wake up even when a sound was blasted at 70 decibels（分貝）；others were awakened by sounds at 40 or 50 decibels.

The researchers discovered that the difference in a sleeper’s reaction to noise could be predicted by the level of brain activity called “sleep spindles（紡錘體）”. A sleep spindle is a burst of high-frequency brain activity coming from deep inside the brain during sleep. The source of the spindles is the thalamus（丘腦）, a part of the brain that sends sensory information to the rest of the cortex（皮層）.

Before the study, the Massachusetts researchers theorized that the spindles are the brain’s way of preventing sensory information from passing through the thalamus and waking the rest of the brain during sleep. They found that sleepers who experienced the most sleep spindles during the night were also the soundest sleepers and were least likely to be awakened by noise.

Scientists already know that most people become lighter sleepers with age, most likely because older people experience less “slow wave sleep”, which is the deepest stage of sleep. People also produce fewer sleep spindles as they age. But even when controlling for the stage of sleep a person was in, the number of sleep spindles still predicted their risk for awakening because of noise.

More research is needed, but the findings suggest that a better understanding of sleep spindles could lead to new behavioral or drug therapies for people with sleep disorders. For example, future studies may try to determine whether diet, exercise or other behaviors may influence the number of sleep spindles a person produces during the night.

71. Some participants can sleep well through loud noises mainly because ________.

A. their brains don’t respond to outside noises.

B. their brains react differently to noises.

C. they adapt too the environment quickly. 

D. they don’t pay attention to the monitors.

72. Scientists believe that the key to affecting deep sleep is__________.

A. sleep spindles                          B. stages of sleep         

C. sleep disorders                           D. sensory information

73. It can be learned from the passage that_____________.

A. The older a deep sleeper becomes, the lighter his sleep must be.

B. The more “slow wave sleep” one experiences, the deeper sleep one has.

C. The more frequently a sleeper’s brain works, the less information it sends.

D. The deeper sleep people have, the more likely they will be awakened by noise.

74. From the passage we can predict____________.

A. more factors in influencing sleep spindles may be discovered.

B. more solid sleepers will take part in relative experiments.

C. sleep spindles will be applied to change one’s behaviors.

D. deep sleepers will probably enjoy a more healthy life.

75. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The differences between the deep sleepers and the light sleepers.

B. The experiments conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital.

C. The discovery and the importance of “sleep spindles”.

D. The new behaviors or drug therapies for people with sleep disorders.

Endangered languages are languages that wouldn’t exist any longer, much like endangered species of plants or animals. Languages are considered to be endangered when parents are no longer teaching the language to their children and are not using it actively in everyday life. A language is considered to nearly disappear when it is spoken by only a few elderly native speakers.

The world faces enormous challenges in order to protect different kinds of languages. Of the more than 6,912 languages, half may be in danger of disappearing in the next several decades.

It is caused by many reasons: small numbers of speakers, the regular use of other languages, attitudes towards their languages, moving of the younger population, government policies, and languages used in education and so on. A language may lack important things such as a body of literature, and people who read and write it. A language may also lack prestige (聲望) and support of its speakers.

The survival of a language is also threatened when speakers move to other areas where different languages are spoken, or when government policies improve the use of a specific language in school, official business and the media. These situations encourage people to learn the wider-known language and may cause them, especially the young, to stop using their mother tongue. Often those speaking lesser-known languages will choose to learn a more prestigious language with the hope of greater economic opportunities. Most of the world’s parents are teaching their children English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian or some other main languages instead of their own languages for social and economic reasons.

66.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Languages in the world.             B．Reasons why languages become endangered.

C．What an endangered language is.     D．Languages spoken by few speakers.

67.About ________languages will probably disappear in this century according to the passage.

A．more than 6,912    B．more than 3,456      C．6,912            D．less than 3,456

68.Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

①=Paragraph1       ②=Paragraph2  ③=Paragraph3  ④=Paragraph4

69.We can infer that the best way to maintain an endangered language is to _________.

A．forbid the speakers to move about              

B．pass laws to protect the language

C．raise the salaries of the people who speak the language

D．teach the language to young children and encourage people to speak it often

70.All of the following about languages are true EXCEPT __________.

A．many languages will be probably endangered in this century

B．government policies have a big effect on languages

C．the endangered language is a language that is spoken by a few people

D．languages are related to their speakers’ social and economic position 

A popular saying goes，“Sticks and stones may break my bones，but words will never hurt me．”However，that’s not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves--the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．

We all talk to ourselves sometimes．We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it，though．In fact，we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit．

This“ self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves，remember things，solve problems，and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though，that as much as 77％of self-talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive，we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back ,The next time you finish a project，do well in a test，or finally clean your room，join me in saying“ Good job!”

Often，words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effects they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses to others．For example，when returning an item to a store，we might use warm，friendly language during the exchange．And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．Or harsh and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive．

Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking，we should always ask ourselves：Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test，then it’s better left unsaid．

Words possess power：both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope，build self-esteem and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours．

61. The author argues in the first paragraph that __________.

A. words will never hurt us at all                 B. words have lasting effects on us

C. inspiring words give us confidence                  D. negative words may let us down

62. Why should not we feel embarrassed when it comes to talking to ourselves?

A. Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health.

B. Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself.

C. Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems.

D. It is harmful to have “self-talk” when we are alone.

63. The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph three means “ _________”.

A. blame ourselves     B. punish ourselves      C. talk to ourselves    D. praise ourselves

64. Which of the following statements would the author agree to?

A. Unkind words are unlikely to be forgotten

B. Positive words may destroy all the good relations.

C. It is better to think twice before talking to others.

D. Kind words are sure to cause unfavorable response.

65. Why should we talk in a friendly way when returning an item to a store?

A. Because kind words destroy true relationships. 

B. Because the clerk in a store is hard to deal with.

C. Because critical language may hurt your feelings.

D. Because friendly words cause positive responses.

If cars had wings，they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2011.The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012.

“It’s the next ‘wow’vehicle，”said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. “Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don’t fly.”

The car plane has wings that unfold for flying—a process the company says takes one minute—and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.

The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.

The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly.They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you’re good to go.When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don’t have to store it at an airport—you park it in the garage at home.

The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal(臨界)conditions.

The Transition’s price tag: $194,000, But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.

“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,” Gersh said.

So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. “We’ re working very closely with them, but there are still some remaining steps,” Brown said.

56.We can learn from the first paragraph that _________.

A. car-planes will be popular in 2012      

B. people might drive a car-plane in 2012

C. both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land

D. Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts

57.It takes the car-plane one minute to ________ .

A. fold and unfold its wings        B. unfold wings for flying

C. land in the airport              D. meet flying safety regulations

58.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. The car-plane needs a runway to take off and land.

B. To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.

C. The car-plane may fly as high as normal planes.

D. People can park the car-plane in the garage at their home.

59.The underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refers to ________ .

A. the radio    B. the transponder     C. the GPS      D. the full-plane parachute

60.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Corner.

B. Which to Choose: A Ferrari or a Car Plane?

C. A more Convenient and Cheaper Way to Fly.

D. Cars With Wings Can Fly as Fast as Planes.

If women are mercilessly exploited（剝削）year after year， they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion， they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it， only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe（衣柜）packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.

Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way， waste hours of their time changing the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened；neck-lines are lowered or raised， and so on.

No one can say that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth， comfort and durability（耐用）. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort， as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day， or carefully picking her way through deep snow in high heeled shoes.

When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion， the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women’s clothes， one wonders， reflect basic qualities of inconstancy（易變）and instability？Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability？That is for you to decide.

7l. How do designers and big stores take advantage of women?

A. By mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry.

B. By attaching great importance to quality in women’s clothing.

C. By constantly changing the fashions in women’s clothing.

D. By producing large number of new clothes.

72. To the writer， the fact that women change their old-fashioned dresses is seen as          .

A. a waste of money                           B. a waste of time

C. an expression of taste              D. an expression of creativity

73. Perhaps the writer would not be so critical           .

A. if fashion designers could pay attention to the comfort of clothing

B. if fashion industry could contribute more to society

C. if women took their safety and health in consideration

D. if women didn’t put up with any discomfort

74. By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”in Paragraph 4 the writer means that        .

A. women’s inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at

B. women are better able to put up with discomfort

C. men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers

D. men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion

75. What’s the passage mainly about?

A. Men are wiser than women in choosing clothes.

B. Women are taken advantage of because they always follow clothing fashions.

C. Women should be blamed for following clothing fashions.

D. Changing fashions have greatly contributed to social development.

It’s not uncommon in America for a person to belong to some kind of volunteer group. Donating one’s time and services is very much a part of the American way of life. Most charitable activities are organized by churches and groups around the nation and even encouraged by the government. The helping hand is extended to the poor， the homeless and the disabled. Some people work to teach youngsters how to read. others open up soup kitchens to feed the homeless. Volunteers also take care of the disabled by making reading tapes for the blind and working in orphanages（孤兒院）to help children without parents.

High school students are often encouraged to become volunteers and many school club activities center around volunteer services. Students may work with disabled children during a summer program， or participate in a club activity which helps to bring meal to senior citizens who are shut-ins. With their sense of idealism（理想主義）students are often eager to donate their spare time. They see such activities as a way of becoming involved in the community and the adult-world. Social action for them becomes as important as their academic studies.

In a like manner， throughout the year，fund raising drives are also conducted by schools and community groups to raise money for a worthy cause. They may respond to a recent earthquake in a foreign country， a flood somewhere within their own， or another natural disaster which has left people destitute and homeless. They may organize drives to collect food， clothing and medicines to serve an immediate need. Today even the Halloween custom of ‘trick or treat’has become an occasion to collect money for a charitable cause.

This call to help those less fortunate than themselves arises from the humble origins of the American nation. Those immigrants who were poor and downtrodden（受壓迫的）became dependent on the kindness of their neighbors to make a new life for themselves.

American volunteers work throughout the world in less developed countries. They volunteer by serving as a champion of goodwill both at home and abroad， which no doubt enriches both his life and those whom he serves.

66. Which of the following charitable activities is not mentioned in the passage?

A. Some people open up soup kitchens to feed homeless people.

B. Some students bring meals to old people who can’t go out easily.

C. Some people collect money to help a foreign country with a recent earthquake.

D. Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas.

67. Why are American high school students eager to do voluntary work?

A. Because they want to participate in some social activities.

B. Because they want to go to better universities.

C. Because they can get higher scores at school.

D. Because they can realize their dream sooner.

68. The underlined word “destitute”in Paragraph 4 probably means           .

A. lifeless              B.  penniless         C. useless              D. valueless

69. American charitable activities started because           .

A. Americans are always ready to share with othes

B. Americans are mostly kind

C. poor immigrants needed help badly

D. poor Americans couldn’t live on without help

70. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. The Call from the Poor            B. Voluntary Work in the US

C. Ways to help the Poor              D. American Volunteers Around the World