We've used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind(磨碎) corn, which is where the term "windmill" comes from.

We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propellor on the top. The wind blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these towers together, to make a "wind farm" and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It's only worth building wind farms in places that have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans（大篷车）increasingly have small wind generators to help keep their batteries charged.

The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains—places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several “wind farms” supply electricity to homes around Los Angeles.

The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines(垂直涡轮机), which don't need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming. 

The first paragraph aims to introduce to us _______.

A. the function of wind power               B. the source of wind power

C. the nations using wind power             D. the history of using wind power

How does a wind power work?

A. The generator turns the propellor blades and produce electricity.

B. The tall tower helps turn the energy in the air into electricity.

C. Warm air rises and makes the propellor move round.

D. The propellor blown round by wind turns the generator to produce electricity.

The best places for building the wind farm are places where _______.

A. boats and caravans can often be seen         B. isolated farms don’t have enough electricity

C. there are less human activities          D. the wind is strong and reliable

We can infer from the passage that _______.

A. wind farms will not take up too much farming land

B. wind farms need no fuel because wind is free

C. the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from

D. the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is

What can be a suitable title for the passage?

  A. Where to build a wind farm.            B. ABC of the using of wind energy.

  C. How to make best use of wind.          D. Wind energy is the best energy.

“What is the most important thing you’ve done in your life?” The question was put to me during a presentation I gave to a group of lawyers.
The answer came to me in an instant. It’s not the one I gave, because the situation was not right. As a lawyer in the entertainment industry, I knew the audience wanted to hear some amusing stories about my work with well-known people. But here’s the true answer:
The most important thing I’ve ever done occurred on October 8, 1990. I began the day playing tennis with an old friend I hadn’t seen for a while. Between points we talked about what had been happening in each other’s lives. He and his wife had just had a baby boy, who was keeping them up at night.
While we were playing, a car came screaming up the road toward the courts. It was my friend’s father, who shouted to my friend that his baby had stopped breathing and was being rushed to the hospital. In a flash my friend was in the car and gone, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
For a moment I just stood there, paralyzed(呆若木鸡). Then I tried to figure out what I should do. Follow my friend to the hospital? There was nothing I could accomplish there, I convinced myself. My friend’s son was in the care of doctors and nurses, and nothing I could do or say would affect the outcome. Be there for moral support? Well, maybe. But my friend and his wife both had large families, and I knew they’d be surrounded by relatives who would provide more than enough comfort and support, whatever happened. All I could do at the hospital, I decided, was to get in the way. Also, I had planned a full day with my family, who were waiting for me to get home. So I decided to head back to my house and check in my friend later.
As I started my car, I realized that my friend had left his truck and keys at the courts. I now faced another problem. I couldn’t leave the keys in the truck. So I decided to go to the hospital and give him the keys.
When I arrived, I was directed to a room where my friend and his wife were waiting. As I had thought, the room was filled with family members silently watching my friend comfort his wife. I went in and stood by the door, trying to decide what to do next. Soon a doctor appeared. He approached my friend and his wife, and in a quiet voice told them that their son had died.
For a long time the two held each other and cried, unaware of the rest of us standing around in pained silence. After they had calmed themselves, the doctor suggested they spend a few moments with their son.
My friend and his wife stood up and walked past their families. When they reached the door, my friend saw me standing in the corner. He came over and hugged me and started to cry. My friend’s wife hugged me, too, and said, “Thanks for being here.”
For the rest of that morning, I sat in the emergency room of that hospital and watched my friend and his wife hold the body of their infant son, and say goodbye.
It’s the most important thing I have ever done.
The experience taught me two lessons.
First: The most important thing I’ve ever done happened when I was completely helpless. None of the things I had learned in university, in three years of law school or in six years of legal practice were of any use in that situation. Something terrible was happening to people Icared about, and I was powerless to change the outcome. All I could do was standing by and watching it happen. And yet it was critical that I do just that—just be there when someone needed me.
Second: The most important thing I’ve done almost didn’t happen because of things I had learned in classroom and professional life. Law school taught me how to take a set of facts, break them down and organized them. These skills are critical for lawyers. When people come to us for help, they’re often stressed out and depend on a lawyer to think logically. But while learning to think, I almost forget how to feel. Today I have no doubt that I should have leapt into my car without hesitation and followed my friend to the hospital.
From that one experience I learned that the most important thing in life isn’t the money you make, the status you attain or the honors you achieve. The most important thing in life is the kids’ team you coach or the poem you write—or the time when you’re just somebody’s friend.
【小题1】When he was asked about the most important thing he had done in life at a presentation, the author __________.
A felt it was not an interesting question           
B. thought for a while and spoke his mind
C. gave an answer from a lawyer’s point of view   
D. didn’t give the real answer
【小题2】When he saw his friend rush to the hospital, the author could not decide whether to follow mainly because he thought _________.

A．he had to stay with his family	B．his friend did not need his help
C．he would not be of much help	D．the baby would be in the doctor’s care

【小题3】The purpose of the author’s description of the scene at the hospital is to inform us that ______.

A．he found out that he was in the way

B．he would have felt guilty if he had not been there

C．he regretted that he went too later

D．his friend would have felt better if he had not been there

【小题4】Which of the following is conveyed in this story?

A．Family and relatives can not take the place of friends.

B．More people are a great comfort when one is in trouble.

C．It is best to be here when someone needs you.

D．You can certainly help a friend if you want to.

【小题5】The author learned from his own experience that_______.

A．what is taught in school is usually of no use

B．a lawyer cannot learn much in classrooms

C．a lawyer should know people’s feeling first

D．he needs to be able to feel as well as think logically

C

　　Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.

　　When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.

　　One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.

　　From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.

　　During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.

　　Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!

59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.

A．of holding and releasing            B．that released first, then held

C．that held first, then released         D．that was not holding or releasing

60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.

A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost

B．think twice before you leap

C．treat everything calmly

D．cherish what you’ve owned

61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.

A．to enjoy the dew                 B．to finish her work early

C．to do some cleaning              D．to avoid the burning sun

62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.

A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer    B．that I should have taken some photos

C．that I had to leave                   D．that the tree died

 

A young woman was driving through the lonely countryside. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift.

   “I can’t leave her out in this weather,” the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door.

   “Do you want a lift?” she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, “Have you been waiting for a long time?” The old woman shook her head. “Strange,” thought the young woman. She tried again. “Bad weather for the time of year,” she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what the young woman said, the hitchhiker(搭车者) gave no answer except for a nod of the head or a shrug(耸肩).

   Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker’s hands, which were large and hairy. Suddenly she realized that the hitchhiker was actually a man! She stopped the car. “ I can’t see out of the rear screen,” she said, “Would you mind clearing it for me?”

   The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the terrified young woman raced off.

   When she got to the next village she pulled up. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. She gave a gasp. Inside the bag was a gun.

The woman stopped the car because _______.

   A. the old woman asked her to        B. she recognized the old woman

   C. she knew what the woman wanted   D. she wanted to helped the old woman

What made the woman feel strange about the old woman?

   A. That she kept nodding her head          B. That she was unable to speak

   C. That she gave no answer to her questions  D. That she had large and hairy hands

The young woman asked the hitchhiker to clear the rear screen because _______.

   A. this is the way she thought of to get rid of him   B. the hitchhiker frightened her

   C. the hitchhiker was very helpful   D. she couldn’t see out of the rear screen

The hitchhiker left the bag with a gun in it behind because_______.

A. he wanted to give her a warning  

B. he had not expected the woman would leave him behind in the rain

C. it was his present for her  

D. he wanted to kill her with the gun

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Celebrating sleep
World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to bring attention to the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.
In 2002, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece conducted a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. Of the people that responded to the survey, 24 percent said that they did not sleep well, and based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed (诊断)with insomnia（失眠）and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. In addition, 30.7 percent of survey respondents reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems and 11.6 percent said that they felt very sleepy during the day.
Overall, the survey found that ninny people suffer the effects of poor quality sleep, some examples of which are being unable to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. The main factors causing these problems are pressure from school or work and a fast pace of life, but noise pollution and light pollution also interfere with sleep and contribute to poor quality sleep. The survey’s findings are particularly troubling because large numbers of people were found to have difficulty sleeping at night. The short-term effects of this are tiredness and trouble concentrating. If this happens for a long time, the risk of putting on weight and having a heart attack may increase.
There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have regular sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.
Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.
Title: Celebrating Sleep