The private automobile(私家车) has long played an important role in the United States. In fact, it has become a necessary and important part of the American way of life. In 1986, sixty-nine percent of American families owned at least one car, and thirty-eight percent had more than one. By giving workers rapid transportation, the automobile has freed them from having to live near their place of work. This has encouraged the growth of the cities, but it has also led to traffic problems.

For farm families the automobile is very helpful. It has made it possible for them to travel to town very often for business and for pleasure, and also to transport their children to distant schools.

Family life has been affected(影响) in various ways. The car helps to keep families together when it is used for picnics, outings, and other shared experiences. However, when teenage children have the use of the car, their parents can’t keep an eye on them. There is a great danger if the driver has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or showing off by speeding or breaking down traffic laws. Mothers of victims(受害者) of such accidents have formed an organization called MADD(Mothers Against Drunk Driving). These women want to prevent further tragedies(悲剧). They have worked to encourage the government to limit the youngest drinking age. Students have formed a similar organization, SADD(Students Against Drunk Driving) and are spreading the same message among their friends.

For many Americans the automobile is a necessity. But for some, it is also a mark of social position and for young people, a sign of becoming an adult. Altogether, cars mean very much to Americans.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?

A. Cars have encouraged the growth of the cities.

B. Cars can bring families together when they go for picnics.

C. Cars have enabled people to live far from their place of work.

D. Cars help city families to transport their children to faraway schools.

What has been done to deal with the problem of drunk driving?

A. Parents have paid more attention to their children.

B. Some organizations have been set up against drunk driving.

C. Mothers have tried to persuade their children not to drink alcohol.

D. University students have asked the government to solve the problem.

We can infer from the text that in America.

A. it will be more difficult for people to get new cars

B. parents will not allow their children to have their own cars

C. the government will encourage people to use public transportation

D. cars will still be popular though they have caused many problems

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune , largely to the cause of global health , during the course of his lifetime . With an estimated（估计）worth of more than $ 40 billion , according to Forbes , the project will be no small feat （功绩）for Gates . Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues , Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”

So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest ? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world . Improving the health of the populations , he says , has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful . “National borders allow inequalities ,” said Gates : “We all need to take a more global view , rather than just saying my country is doing well . We have to step up these health issues , knowing how few resources are going into them .”

Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child . His father , William H. Gates , was the head of the local Planned Parenthood , and his mother , Mary , volunteered for the United Way . As he gathered his fortune , Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well , but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.

However , Gates , 47 , began to question his ability to wait that long . “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said . “I started to think , How many lives could I save before then ?”

1.Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is          .

2.It can be learned from the text that Bill Gates thinks          .

3.Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of          .

When it comes to President Obama, most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha, however, has been kept a little more under wraps.
The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House, as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children:
The girls must write reports about what they’ve seen on their trips, even if it’s not required by their school.
Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekends, and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.
Malia and Sasha have to play two sports: one they choose and one selected by their mother.
Malia must learn to do laundry(洗衣服) before she leaves for college.
The girls have to eat their vegetables, and if they say they are not hungry, they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.
While these might be shocking to some, Michelle said, “They’re not little princess. It’s just basic rules, boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”
Michelle also mentions another set of rules:
The girls must do their chores(家务), though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.
They must play a team sport, because it’s about learning how to play on a team, how to lose and how to win gracefully.
…
It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well-rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?  
【小题1】What’s the passage mainly about?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many skin colors in the world? Do you know why people living in particular areas usually have a certain color? Biology and history are the two reasons for this.
Skin contains something called melanin, which determines a person’s skin color. The more melanin a person has, the darker his or her skin will be. The amount of and the production of melanin are controlled by genetics, but can be affected by other things, such as sunlight. If a person lives in a place with less sunlight, a person’s body will produce less melanin, making the skin lighter.
Skin color is also affected by another source ---- vitamin D. humans all need vitamin D to build bones. People can get it by eating foods such as fish and milk, or from sunlight, so sunlight absorbed by melanin cannot be used for vitamin D production. Therefore, a dark—skinned person will produce less vitamin D than a light—skinned person when they received the same amount of sunlight.
The connection between vitamin D production and skin color is clear when we look at evolution. The earliest humans lived in Africa, their dark skin produced less vitamin D because of their dark skin. As a result, their skin made less melanin, so they could get enough sunlight to produce vitamin D. their skin gradually got lighter and they lost hair. Now, people living in areas with strong sunlight like Africa, have darker skin, while people living in other areas have lighter skin. The exception to this is the Inuit, who live in a place with little sunlight, but have dark skin because they eat a lot of fish and have enough vitamin D.
Evolution has given us a rainbow of skin colors. Humans have always had melanin to determine our skin color. What has changed through history is the environment where we have lived. This has in turn changed our melanin production, and eventually, skin color.

第三节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项A、B、C、D中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。
Jessie's Glove
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores.      21    the topics we discuss is the retention （保持）of quality employees -- a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale （薪水标准）in the service industry. During these discussions, I asked the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager?" Some time back a new   22    took the question and     23      said, "It was a $19 baseball glove."
Cynthia told the group that she    24    took a Circle K clerk job as an interim （过渡时期）position   25      she looked for something   26     .On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League. She explained that    27     a single mother, money was very    28    , and her first check would    29    go for paying   30    . Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check..
When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in the back of the store that    31    as an office. Cynthia    32    if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete from the day before. She was concerned and confused．
Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard you talking to your son   33    ," she said, "and I know that it is hard to   34     things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he may not understand how    35    he is, even though you have to pay bills    36    you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we    37   care, and I want you to know you are important to    38  ."
The thoughtfulness, sympathy and    39  of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly that people remember more how much an employer  40     than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.