In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them.   71  But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by ear manufacturers．

       The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program.   72  That will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself,   73  . Instead，we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing．

According to Dr．David Davis，who leads the research team，these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture，which had blocked up our cities，polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together．

Davis says，cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices(装置) to regulate(调节) the distance between one car and another.   74  Computers are much safer drivers than people，so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.

By 2010，Dr．David Davis believes，car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road，whatever the weather conditions，by projecting an image（影像）of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen．  75  Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.” says Davis. “ But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount，and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”

       A．The team there believes that by 2030 all cars will be computerized.

       B．They believe that cars will become more important in 20 years.

       C．And it will not be owned by one individual.

       D．And by 2030, cars will travel in line, linked to each other electronically.

       E．So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe.

       F．Every driver will use less fuel in the car he owns.

       G．The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front.

Film cameras and digital cameras work in a similar way.

Film cameras

After all, a film camera is basically a light – proof (不透光的) box. It has a lens (镜头) system to focus light onto the film at the back of the camera.

Let’s suppose that we are outside on a beautiful summer day trying to take a picture of the family dog. We are using a film camera. We finally get the dog to lie still. You point the camera at him. What happens? Light goes into the camera lens and hits the shutter. In other words, nothing happens yet. Now let’s say that the dog looks really cute and you decide to snap a picture. What happens? When you press the button, the shutter open for a very short period of time. A small amount of light passes through and hits the film at the back of the camera. This creates an upside-down and reversed (反向的)image on the film.

    When you finish the roll of the film, you can take it to the photo shop to develop it and you will have a great picture of your dog!

    Cameras come with different lens lengths. Why does it matter? Many small cameras have shorter focal lengths, which means that there is a small distance between the lens and the place where the light focuses at the back of the camera. This gives you a large view of the area you are taking a picture of. Lenses with a long focal length show a smaller area but allow you to focus on distant objects and make them bigger. They are often called telephoto lenses. A good example of a long focus lens is one that is used by sports photographers to get photos of football players as if they were standing right beside them.

Digital cameras

    In digital cameras, the light falls not on film but onto a sensor (传感器)called a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). This digitally converts(转变) light and colour into a digital information or pixels (像素). The CCD is the heart of any digital camera and usually the most expensive part ---- depending on how good it is.

67．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Both digital and film cameras focus light onto the film.

       B．All cameras have a sensor.

       C．Digital cameras and film cameras have something in common. .

       D．Small cameras usually have longer focal lengths.

68．In the “Film cameras” part, you fail to take the picture of the dog because _____.

       A．light goes into the camera lens and hits the shutter

       B．you haven’t aimed the camera at the dog

       C．the image of the dog is not created

       D．the sensor fails to convert light and colour into a digital information

69．The main reason that sports photographers can get clear and big photos of players is that _ ___.

       A．they use digital cameras                        B．the lens of their cameras is excellent

       C．their focus lenses are short                   D．their focus lenses are long

70．Generally speaking, a digital camera’s price is ____.

       A．closely related to the quality of the CCD

       B．irrelevant to the quality of the CCD

       C．closely related to the lens

       D．irrelevant to the lens

    LONDON: What could possibly be wrong with planting trees? The benefits are obvious; they  firm the soil, soak up (摄取) extra water and take carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) our of the atmosphere.

However, it now turns out that planting trees could add to global warming.

Tree roots do a great job of keeping soil firmly on the ground and out of the wind’s power. The problem is that some of those dust clouds play an important part in soaking up carbon dioxide.

Huge dust storms blow out over the oceans from dry parts of North Africa and central Asia. Tons of dust are lifted and left as a thin film over the ocean surface. The dust fuels oceanic life.

Dust from China is carried east and left in the Pacific Ocean. If a tree-planting programme there is successful and the dust supply reduced, the net result may be that less carbon dioxide gets locked away in the ocean.

Andy Ridgwell, an environmental scientist from the University of East Anglia, has spent the past few years studying dust and says his work “shows clearly that the complexity of the system and the importance of not tinkering(粗劣地修补) with it without understanding the results. For this reason the need is to focus(集中) on cutting carbon dioxide giving off rather than monkeying (瞎弄) about with the land surface.”

An American scientist, Robert Jackson, has shown that when native grassland areas are invaded(侵入) by trees, carbon is lost from the soil. “We are studying why the soil carbon disappears, but one theory is that trees do a lot more of their growing above ground compared to grasses, so less carbon goes directly into the soil from trees, ” says Jackson.

In wet areas of the world, the gain from trees absorbing carbon dioxide above ground seems to be outweighed(超过) by the loss of carbon from the soil below ground. Countries that plan to combat global warming by planting trees may have to think again.

Solutions to environmental problems are often more complex than they first appear, and understanding the Earth’s climate is a very great challenge.

63．People usually hold the opinion that       .

       A．huge dust storms can destroy carbon dioxide

       B．huge dust storms can destroy the oceans on the earth

       C．huge dust storms can’t do anything beneficial for man

       D．planting trees is the only way to control huge dust storms

64．Andy Ridgwell, the environmental scientist, believes that       .

       A．dust plays a more important part than trees

       B．trees should’t have been planted in dry places

       C．carbon dioxide is harmful to everything on the earth

       D．environmental problems are more complex than expected

65．Robert Jackson’s experiment proves that         .

       A．grassland areas should be covered by forests

       B．trees hold more carbon than grasses

       C．carbon can turn grass into dust

       D．less carbon can make trees grow faster

66．The underlined word “combat” in the last paragraph means      .

       A．learn about          B．fight against         C．live with              D．give up

　 Compassion (同情) is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into actions. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part—time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers，and it’s easy to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday，one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy marl walked up to my register with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash，had just moved into his room，and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.

I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before，and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul，all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry，and the store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this，but I valued my job.

Just then，another man，standing behind the first，spoke up. if anything，he looked more pitiable, “Charge it to me,” was all he said.

What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft，safe and easy. Compassion，on the other hand，is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed，either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.

59．The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits　　　　　 .

　 A．promised to obey the store rules　　　　　

B．forgot to take any money with him

　 C．hoped to have the food first and pay later

D．could not afford anything more expensive

60．Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?

A．kind and lucky　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．poor and lonely

C．friendly and helpful　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．hum and disappointed

61．The writer followed the store rules because 　　　 .

　 A．he wanted to keep his present job

　 B．he felt no pity for the old gentleman

　 C．he considered the old gentleman dishonest

　 D．he expected someone else to pay for the old gentleman

62．What does the writer 1earn from his experience?

　 A．Wealth is most important than anything else.

　 B．Helping others is easier said than done.

　 C．Experience is better gained through practice.

D．Obeying the rules means more than compassion.

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona he moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.

My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

    On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?

    The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. In his new home in Arizona, my dad is back to me from where he was.

56．Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

       A．He was silent most of the time.

       B．He was too proud of himself.

       C．He did not love his children.

       D．He expected too much of her.

57．When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel         .

       A．nervous            B．sorry                 C．tired                   D．safe

58．The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to          .

       A. the author’s son                               B．the author’s father

       C．the friend of the author’s father          D．the café owner

In a class I teach for adults, I recently did the “unpardonable.” I gave the class homework!

The assignment (任务) was to “go to someone you love 　36 the next week and tell them you love them. It 　37 to be someone you have never 　38 those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.” That doesn’t 　39 like a very tough assignment, 　40 you stop to realize that most of the men were over 35 and were 　41 in the generation of men that were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho (男子汉气概的).” Showing feelings or crying (heaven forbid!) was just not done 　42 this was a very threatening assignment for some.

At the 　43 of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to 　44 what happened when they told someone they loved them. I fully expected one of the 　45 to volunteer, as was usually the 　46 , but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit 　47 . As he unfolded out of his chair, he began by saying, “Dennis. I was quite 　48 with you last week when you gave us the assignment. I didn’t feel that I had 　49 to say those words to and 　50 , who were you to tell me to do something that personal? But as I began driving home my conscience (良知) started talking to me. It was telling me that I 　51 exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a heated 　52 and really never resolved it since that one. We 　53 seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings. But 　54 then, we hardly spoke to each other. So last. Tuesday 　55 I got home, I had convinced myself. I was going to tell my father I loved him.”

36．A．after　　　　　　　　　 B．before　　　　　　　　 C．for　　　　　　　　　　 D．within

37．A．has to　　　　　　　　 B．ought to　　　　　　 C．had better　　　　　 D．can

38．A．told　　　　　　　　　　 B．said　　　　　　　　　　 C．talked　　　　　　　　 D．spoken

39．A．look　　　　　　　　　 B．hear　　　　　　　　　 C．listen　　　　　　　　　 D．sound

40．A．when　　　　　　　　 B．until　　　　　　　　　 C．that　　　　　　　　　　 D．unless

41．A．born　　　　　　　　　 B．grown　　　　　　　　 C．raised　　　　　　　　 D．risen

42．A．And　　　　　　　　　 B．But　　　　　　　　　　 C．So　　　　　　　　　　 D．For

43．A．beginning　　　　　 B．end　　　　　　　　　　 C．middle　　　　　　　　 D．stating

44．A．announce　　　　　 B．share　　　　　　　　　 C．answer　　　　　　　 D．ask

45．A．men　　　　　　　　　 B．adults　　　　　　　　 C．students　　　　　　 D．women

46．A．case　　　　　　　　　 B．thing　　　　　　　　　 C．story　　　　　　　　　 D．experience

47．A．afraid　　　　　　　　 B．shaken　　　　　　　 C．terrible　　　　　　　 D．worried

48．A．happy　　　　　　　　 B．pleased　　　　　　　 C．angry　　　　　　　　 D．satisfied

49．A．everybody　　　　　 B．nobody　　　　　　　 C．someone　　　　　　 D．anyone

50．A．else　　　　　　　　　　 B．except　　　　　　　　 C．beside　　　　　　　　 D．besides

51．A．thought　　　　　　　 B．considered　　　　　 C．knew　　　　　　　　 D．guessed

52．A．disagreement　　　 B．encouragement　　 C．disappointment　　 D．discouragement

53．A．imagined　　　　　　 B．risked　　　　　　　　 C．avoided　　　　　　　 D．escaped

54．A．still　　　　　　　　　　 B．even　　　　　　　　　 C．just　　　　　　　　　　 D．only

55．A．by the time　　　　 B．at the time　　　　　 C．for the time　　　　 D．during the time

--- You’re going to publish my book. Are you serious?

--- . It’s to be published next month.

　　　 A．No, I am not　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．No, I was just joking

　　　 C．Yes, I do D．Yes, I have never been more serious

--- I think I’ll give Bob aring.

--- You haven’t been in touch with him for ages.

　　　 A．will　　　　　　　　　　 B．May　　　　　　　　　 C．have to　　　　　　　 D．should

I’m afraid I’ve little time to spare these days. I’ve a pile of papers to        before the meeting.

       A．get through          B．put on                 C．set up                 D．send for

--- What do you think made Ceha so happy?

--- 　a prize in the recent competition.

　　　 A．Winning B．Won C．As she won D．Because of winning.