What is freedom? It seems like such a simple question. Freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Allow me to explain it.
I’m tired of working for a living. I’d rather collect taxes. So that’s what I’m going to do: collect a kind of tax. You are ordered to estimate your income from the past 12 months, and write me a check for 1%. I have provided a mailing address for this purpose on my contact page …
What? You have a problem with my plan? Oh, I see. If you have to send me a check for the tax, then I have hurt your freedom to spend that money as you see fit. We have a conflict! And our basic problem is: we cannot enjoy freedom at the same time; we must settle for a limit. But what limit?
Libertarians (自由论者) believe freedom should be based on self-control. They describe freedom as being able to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t influence the equal right of others to do what they want to do. That is, freedom is being able to do what you like as long as you do not harm another person’s life, liberty or property.
You can build a set of legal and ethical (道德的) rules on the principle of self-control, and libertarians do. Their request for self-control often becomes more important than common sense, or even freedom itself.
The definition rules out the freedom to steal, murder, and so on. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want. There is no problem until you realize that taxation is theft, that war is murder, and that national service is a form of slavery. Since only the government has a legal right to use force, libertarians focus on making the government smaller, or even going without it. The libertarians’ definition of freedom is thus freedom from the government. Isn’t it ridiculous?

1. 1.

   According to the first three paragraphs, the author’s idea of collecting taxes is _________.

   1. A.
      reasonable
   2. B.
      responsible
   3. C.
      unacceptable
   4. D.
      understandable
2. 2.

   The author takes tax-collecting as an example in the passage to prove that freedom is _________.

   1. A.
      unreal
   2. B.
      unbelievable
   3. C.
      achievable
   4. D.
      limited
3. 3.

   In the opinion of libertarians, freedom is realized mainly by _________.

   1. A.
      the law
   2. B.
      self-control
   3. C.
      ethical rules
   4. D.
      common sense
4. 4.

   Which of the following statements is supported by libertarians according to the passage?

   1. A.
      National service should be canceled.
   2. B.
      People can do whatever they want.
   3. C.
      The government should have more power.
   4. D.
      They should be governed by the government.

  What is in the drug that makes you sick or dead? For example, cocaine is harmful, but what makes it harmful?

   I can’t tell you all about drugs, but I can ___36___ you think about them in this ____37____ way. Your body is a very complicated machine, ____38____ a lot of chemical machinery, all of which is finally turned ____39____ it all works together. Special chemicals, which we call drugs, can affect it in many different ways.

   Some drugs are ____40____ when your body has a problem, as with disease—causing bacteria. Then someone may give you aspirin to keep your temperature from going too ____41____ or some penicillin (青霉素) ____42____ it stops the growth of some kinds of bacteria. ___43_____, all drugs are really poison, ____44_____ if you take too much, so you must always use them ____45____.

   Why do some people take drugs like cocaine? For a little while they seem to make you feel better, or happier. But ____46____ their effects have ____47____, your body has to pay an extra ____48____ to get back to normal. That makes you want to get ____49____ of the drug.

   Drugs like cocaine have their special effects because they act as ____50____ for your nervous system. They cut off some of your nerve pathways and take away some of your senses and your ____51___. They make you want always more. And just a little too much can even ____52____ nerves to your heart and stop its beating

   Many of us worry about the ____53____ around us and what pollution does to us. How about your internal environment and what goes on ____54____ you? You control that all by yourself in what you put into your ____55_____. Most drugs are pollutants. You would not want pollutants in the air and water around you. Why would you want pollutants in your body?

What is red but green, open but closed and old but new?

    The answer is: London’s new double-decker（双层）buses.

    Red double-deckers are a symbol of the city. Their status was sealed (确定) in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a special passenger: the Olympic Flame.

On November 11, a life-size model of the new bus was shown to the media. The Guardian reported that the new design shares some of the features of the much-missed double-decker Routemaster bus. The original Routemaster was introduced in 1956 but December 2005 saw the end of the old bus’s general service. It was because the bus was difficult for some passengers to use and not environmentally friendly. But it can still be seen on two heritage routes in the city.

Its replacements —boxy, modern double—deckers—have failed to win Londoners’ affection.

London mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC that the new buses were “a combination of nostalgia（怀旧）and the latest technology”. “Standing on the back platform of this bus brings a sense of nostalgia but also shows the best part of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century,” he said.

The new bus also returns to the driver—and—conductor model—a key feature of the original version. It will be quieter than the old type and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop—on hop—off service.

The first five new buses will be seen on the roads by early 2012.

Which of the following shows that red double—deckers are a symbol of London?

    A．They have a long history and are seen everywhere in London.

    B．They have nothing in common with the traditional Routemaster bus.

    C．One such bus went from London to Beijing to collect the Olympic Flame.

    D．They carried British athletes from London to attend the Beijing Olympics.

Which of the following is true of the original Routemaster?

    A．The bus came into use in the 1960s.

    B．The bus was banned because it was harmful to the environment.

    C．Passengers didn’t like the bus because it was slow.

    D．Visitors to London cannot see such buses on the roads any more.

According to London mayor Boris Johnson, the new Routemaster          .

    A．has not been as well received as was expected

    B．will be widely used in London in 2012

    C．is the most environmentally friendly bus in the UK

    D．combines the latest technology with key traditional features

What is the characteristic of the new red double – deckers?

    A．The buses will make no noises.

    B．The buses will have no conductors.

    C．They will be equipped with air – conditioning.

    D．The bus platform will offer passengers a traditional service.

What is intelligence(智力) anyway? When I was in the army I ___1___ an intelligence test that all soldiers took, and, against ___2___ of 100, scored 160.

I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not ___3___ have scored more than 80. ___4___, when anything went wrong with my car I hurried to him and he always ___5___ it.

Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man ___6___ questions for some intelligence tests. By every one of them I’d prove myself a ___7___. In a world where I have to work with my ___8___ I’d do poorly.

Consider my auto-repair man ___9___. He had a habit of telling ___10___. One time he said,

“Doc, a deaf-and-dumb (聋哑) man ___11___ some nails. Having entered a store, he put two fingers together on the counter and made ___12___ movements with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He ___13___ his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk ___14___ him some nails. He picked out the right size and left. Well, Doc, the ___15___ man who came in was blind. He wanted scissors (剪刀). ___16___ do you suppose he asked for them?” I lifted my right hand and made scissoring movements with my first two fingers. He burst out laughing and said, “Why, you fool, he used his ___17___ and asked for them. I’ve been ___18___ that on all my customers today, but I knew ___19___ I’d catch you.” ”Why is that?” I asked. “Because you are so goddamned educated, Doc. I knew you couldn’t be very ___20___.”

And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.

1. A. failed     B. wrote  C. received     D. chose

2. A. an average     B. a total C. an exam     D. a number

3. A. always   B. possibly     C. certainly     D. frequently

4. A. Then      B. Thus   C. Therefore   D. Yet

5. A. fixed      B. checked      C. drove  D. changed

6. A. answered       B. practiced    C. designed     D. tried

7. A. teacher   B. doctor C. winner       D. fool

8. A. brains    B. effort  C. hands  D. attention

9. A. again     B. as usual      C. too     D. as well

10. A. lies      B. jokes   C. news   D. tales

11. A. bought  B. tested  C. found  D. needed

12. A. cutting B. hammering C. waving       D. circling

13. A. nodded B. raised  C. shook  D. turned

14. A. brought       B. packed       C. sent    D. sold

15. A. clever   B. other   C. right   D. next

16. A. What    B. How   C. Who   D. Which

17. A. imagination B. hand   C. voice  D. information

18. A. trying   B. proving      C. practicing   D. examining

19. A. for sure       B. at once       C. in fact D. right now

20. A. clear    B. silly    C. slow   D. smart

--What is the model plane like?

--Well, the wings of the plane are___________ of its body.

A. more than the length twice  B. twice more than the length

C. more than twice the length  D. more twice than the length