60.According to the passage,it is 　　　　for most young architects in big cities

to work in a building of their own.

A.easy　　　　　　　　　　 　　 B.unnecessary　　　　 　　 C.unrealistic　　　　　 　　on

71.Many tours are timed for people to 　　　　.

A.get down the mountain in time when night falls

B.avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone

C.enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky

D.appreciate the scenery of the 2,560-metre-high mountain

答案　 68.A　 69.B　 70.D　 71.C

Passage 15

(08·湖南B篇)

Most young architects-particularly those in big cities-can only dream about working in a building of their own.And making that dream come true often means finding a building no one else seems to want,which is exactly what happened to David Yocum and his partner,Brian Bell.Their building is a former automobile electrical-parts firm in Atlanta.From the outside,it looks too old,even something horrible,but open the door and you are in a wide,open courtyard,lined on three sides with rusting(生锈的) walls.

In 2000,Yocum and Bell found this building in the city’s West End.Built in 1947,the structure had been abandoned years earlier and the roof of the main building had fallen down.But the price was right,so Yocum bought it.He spent eight months of his off-hours on demolition(拆除),pulling rubbish out through the roof,because it was too dangerous to go inside the building.The demolition was hard work,but it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do,and“to treasure what was there-the walls,the rust,the light,”Yocum said.“Every season,more paint falls off the walls and more rust develops.It’s like an art installation(装置) in there-a slow-motion show.”

Since the back building had been constructed without windows,an all-glass front was added to the building to give it a view of the courtyard,and skylights were installed in the roof.The back of the building is a working area and a living room for Yocum and his wife.A sort of buffer(缓冲) zone between the front and the back contains a bathroom,a kitchen and a mechanical room,and the walls that separate these zones have openings that allow views through to the front of the studio and the courtyard beyond.

Yocum and Bell,who have just completed an art gallery for the city,feel that the experience from the decoration of their building,focusing on the inside rather than the outside,has influenced their work.It has also given these architects a chance to show how they can make more out of less.

70.Climbing to the McKenney Cone,people will 　　　　.

A.walk directly to the active summit

B.hear the continuous loud noise from above

C.make greater efforts than to other summits

D.see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions

69.Antigua is a city 　　　　.

A.where people can enjoy cultural festivals

B.where the daring Pacaya tour starts

C.that gives a close-up view of Pacaya

D.that is famous for its tour companies

68.What is the main purpose of this passage?

A.To attract tourists to Pacaya.

B.To describe the beauty of Pacaya.

C.To introduce guided tours to Pacaya.

D.To explain the power of nature at Pacaya.

63.What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?

A.Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth.

B.Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living.

C.Humans can produce everything they need.

D.Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars.

答案　 60.B　 61.B　 62.A　 63.C

Passage 14

(08·重庆D篇)

Seeing a volcano erupt(喷发) is a wonderful experience,and you can really feel the heat by climbing to the summit(山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view.There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua.Giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.

Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua,a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival.No matter when you come to Antigua,you won’t miss the Pacaya-tour companies.

But climbing Pacaya is no easy job:it is 2,560 metres high,and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements.As you climb,you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above.Steaming,hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit:the McKenney Cone(火山锥).Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone,the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old,inactive summit.

Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano in plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(熔岩) and the darkening sky.On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting.The active mouth boils,sending red lava over its sides,and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air.There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone.As evening turns deeper into the night,the burning lava quietly falls down the side of the volcano.For you,too,it is time to get down.

62.Paul Davies points out that 　　　　.

A.humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars

B.two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon

C.it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars

D.it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars

61.Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?

A.There is a plan to send humans to Mars.

B.There are many reasons for going to Mars.

C.Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars.

D.It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars.

60.The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is 　　　　.

A.to report his classmates’ discussion

B.to invite an answer to his question

C.to explain the natural state of Mars

D.to show his agreement on going to Mars

56.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A.Codeine:A New Medicine

B.Chocolate May Cure Coughs

C.Cough Treatment:A Hard Case

D.Theobromine Can Cause Coughs

答案　 53.D　 54.C　 55.B　 56.B

Passage 13

(08·重庆B篇)

While all my classmates seem to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars(火星),

I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence.People won’t have enough food supplies there,and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life.Besides,the journey won’ anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars,never to return?

Steve Minear,UK

Here are the things you can think of:the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment,the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world,the expectation of fame and glory....For scientists there is another reason.Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.

Donal Trollop,Canada

There are already too many people on the Earth.I think that sometime before the end of the century,there will be a human colony(殖民地) on Mars.It will happen when people finally realize that two-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary.Most of the danger of space flight is in the launches(发射) and landings.Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents,save a lot of money,and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement in another world.

Enough supplies can be sent on ahead.And every two years more supplies and more people will be sent to the new colony.Mars has all the materials for a colony to produce or make everything it needs,and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.

Paul Davies,USA