A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.

Gerner manages school facilities （设施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （样品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”

Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.

How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A. They lost balance in excitement.                B. They showed strong disbelief.

C. They expressed little interest.                     D. They burst into cheers.

Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A. Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B. Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C. Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D. Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A. The large size.                                          B. Limited facilities.

C. The desert climate.                                    D. Poor natural resources.

What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A. They are questionable.                               B. They are out of date.

C. They are advanced.                                    D. They are practical.

A man was exploring caves by the seashore when he found a bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls．It was like someone had   36   the balls and left them out in the sun to bake．

       They didn’t look like much, but they   37   the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him．As he walked along the beach, he   38   the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could．He thought little about it   39   he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open（裂开）on a rock．Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!   40  , the man started breaking open the   41   balls．Each contained a similar treasure．He found thousands of dollars’   42   of jewels in the 20 or so leftover ones．

       Then it   43   him．He’d been on the beach a long time, throwing maybe 50 or 60 of the balls, with their hidden treasure, into the   44  ．Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he  45   have taken home tens of thousands but he had just thrown it away!

       It’s like that   46   people．We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, but we   47   see the clay shell．It doesn’t look like much from the   48  ．It isn’t always beautiful or shining, so we   49   it．We see that person as less important than someone more   50   or stylish or well known or wealthy．But we haven’t taken the time to find the treasure   51   inside that person．

       There is a treasure in each and every one of us．If we take the time to get to know that person and ask God to show us that person the   52   he sees them, then the clay begins to   53   and the brilliant jewel begins to shine forth．May we not come to the   54   of our lives and find out that we’ve thrown away a   55   in friendships because the gems （宝石） were hidden in balls of clay! May we see the people in our world as God sees them．

A．invented     B．rolled          C．handled    D．bounced

A．confused       B．encouraged      C．interested  D．relaxed

A．dipped         B．pushed          C．kicked      D．threw

A．until          B．when           C．since     D．though

A．Frightened    B．Determined      C．Excited     D．Disappointed

A．shining        B．floating        C．surviving  D．remaining

A．worth         B．value         C．cost       D．wealth

A．shocked        B．rejected        C．struck       D．delighted

A．caves         B．waves           C．seashore    D．storms

A．might         B．must          C．could       D．should

A．with          B．towards        C．about     D．between

A．hardly         B．actually        C．simply      D．luckily

A．distance       B．outside         C．weight      D．pattern

A．removed           B．suspected      C．ignored     D．reserved

A．beautiful       B．cautious         C．positive    D．grateful

A．lost           B．hidden          C．divided     D．mixed

A．moment       B．point         C．degree      D．way

A．come off       B．break away      C．take over  D．fall down

A．sight          B．best           C．middle      D．end

A．relation        B．position         C．fortune     D．memory

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.  

Gerner manages school facilities （设施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （样品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.  

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,” Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”  

Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.  

63. How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?  

A. They lost balance in excitement.                B. They showed strong disbelief.  

C. They expressed little interest.                     D. They burst into cheers.  

64. Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?  

A. Assessment ― Prototype ― Design ― Construction.  

B. Assessment ― Design ― Prototype ― Construction.  

C. Design ― Assessment ― Prototype ― Construction.  

D. Design ― Prototype ― Assessment ― Construction.  

65. What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?  

A. The large size.                                          B. Limited facilities.  

C. The desert climate.                                    D. Poor natural resources.  

66. What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?  

A. They are questionable.                               B. They are out of date.  

C. They are advanced.                                   D. They are practical.

A Love Note to My Mom
When I was a little girl, I would often accompany you as you modeled (T台展示) for fashion photographers. It was years later that I finally understood what role modeling   36  in your life. Little did I know you were   37   every penny you earned to go to   38  school.
I cannot thank you enough for   39  you told me one autumn afternoon when I was nine. After finishing my homework, I wandered into the dining room where you were buried   40  piles of law books. I was   41 . Why were you doing what I do—memorizing textbooks and studying for   42  ? When you said you were in law school, I was more puzzled. I didn’t know Moms   43  be lawyers too. You smiled and said, “In life, you can do anything you want to do.”
As young as I was, that statement kept   44  in my ears. I watched as you faced the   45  of completing your studies, starting companies with Dad, while still being a   46   and a Mom of five kids. I was exhausted just watching you       47 . With your words of wisdom in my   48  mind, I suddenly felt unlimited freedom to dream. My whole world  49 . I set out to live my life filled with  50 , seeing endless possibilities for personal and professional achievements.
Your words became my motto. I   51   found myself in the unique position of being either the first (woman doctor in Maryland Rotary)   52   one of the few women (chief medical reporters) in my field. I gained strength every time I said, “Yes, I’ll try that.”
Encouraged by your   53  , I have forged ahead(毅然前行) with my life’s journey, less afraid to make mistakes, and   54   meeting each challenge. You did it, and now I’m   55   it. Sorry, got to run. So much to do, so many dreams to live.

A. Arguments are pointless.
B. Your parents only want what's best for you.
C. Everyone's opinion matters only as much as you want them to.
D. You learn by doing.
E. Your emotions are under your control.
F. You aren't stuck in any situation
Life is the greatest teacher
There always comes a moment when I wonder where I will end up and this moment always serves as a strong motivation for me to learn life lesson. I've learned a great many things, but these are the lessons that I wish I'd learned earlier:
【小题1】_________
There was a time when everyone's opinion was mine as well. Whatever preferences I formerly held were dashed in the face of another's. This most likely came from a need to please others. Remember that your opinion matters just as much as the next guy's, whether they make more money than you or are less popular than you. Everyone's opinion holds the same weight.
【小题2】_________
Drama, chaos, and emotional unrest — these were what took up most of my time as a teenager. If I had heard someone said bad things behind my back, I'd be angry. Go crazy. Looking back on those tantrums now, I'm not too surprised. After all, when you have little self control, anything is possible. The lesson here is, remain aware of how you react.
【小题3】_________
Will one small argument among friends decide the fate of the entire universe? In my world it felt like it. I just wanted so much to be right and for them so much to be wrong. But in the end, it only resulted in me wasting my time and in the other person storming off in frustration. Is there really a point to arguing? Unless it's absolutely necessary, I've learned that it's better to hold your breath on things you can't control at all. Arguing to change someone's mind is one of them.
【小题4】_________
I'm not saying every parent wants what's best for you (there are outliers), but in general, parents do what they do for you in your best interest. My parents used to make me do the dishes, cook dinner, sweep the floors, mow the lawn, take out the garbage… the list goes on and on. And at every turn, I'd whine and complain. I'd eventually end up doing it. Now, I honestly see the value in having learned those skills. I can efficiently cook and clean up after myself.
【小题5】_________
Whenever I’d lose a friend, get an awful grade, or disappoint my parents, I stewed in my own muck. Waiting for the bad moments to go away seemed to be the only solution. Fortunately, I know now that you don’t have to be stuck in bad situations. You can go out and create better ones. It all depends on perspective; on how you see the situation. Viewing everything as a learning experience makes life more pleasurable, even during the hard times. You aren't stuck. You can move on.
I'm glad to have learned these lessons the way I did. Each experience helped shape me to become a better person. I don't know if any young people are reading this, but if they are, I'd like to say this: “Listen to life and its experiences. Everyone goes through mostly the same things.”