C
With alarming regularity, we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills （泄露） on people, nature, and the environment．
Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil．Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea．
Of all of today's environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious．Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material．In the end, it breaks down naturally．There are, of course, long-term effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term．
Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible．In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tones of oil into the ocean．If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened．
Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage．Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run I
We should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil．Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power （太阳能） , electricity, hydrogen, and so on．Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal．
If the world's millions of cars were 10% more efficient （高效的）—and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient ?we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year．If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too．
63．What is the passage mainly talking about?
A．Oil spills pollution．    B．What oil pollution is．
C．Oil tanker accidents.             D．How to reduce oil pollution.
64．How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?
A．By giving a description．   B．By making an argument．
C．By giving an example．          D．By drawing a diagram．
65．What does the underlined word "risk" in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Transportation depending more on oil．
B．Poisonous oil breaking down naturally．
C．Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea．
D．More environmental damage being caused．
66．Which suggestion, is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?
A．We should build safer tankers in the near future．
B．We should develop new technologies to cut oil use．
C．Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines．
D．Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea．

B
At the middle school level, there are many academic clubs in which students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.
Mathcounts Club
Mathcounts tries to increase excitement towards mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Local competitions are held in February with winners progressing to state competitions and then on to the national level. Mathcounts works to challenge student math skills, develop self-confidence and give rewards for their achievements.
Envirothon
The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography. The ecology field competition for five-member middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife, soils, forestry, current environmental issues and aquatics. Students work and learn in middle school clubs and can compete at the local and state level.
Future Problem Solvers
Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a six-step process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who are in the talented and gifted program, who like to “think out of the box,” or who enjoy thinking about futuristic problems may like this club. Teams comprised of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the six-step process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.
Builders Club
Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. Each Builders Club is co-sponsored by a Kiwanis club and the middle school. The members learn by doing, and they learn organization, teamwork, and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a "Teacher of the Year" program, provide a recycling collection point, organize canned food and clothing drives to support local shelters, adopt a resident at a local senior citizens home, adopt a highway, tutor, etc.
Middle school academic clubs offer students a place to explore interests or talents. The clubs they join in middle school can help guide choices in high school and beyond.
59．The students who are not interested in competitions woudld like to choose        .
A．Mathecounts Club    B．Builders Club
C．Future Problem Solvers   D．Envirothon
60．Why do some of the students choose Mathcounts Club?
A．To be successful in science careers.
B．To enjoy solving future problems.
C．To perform community service.
D．To study wildlife and soils.
61．What is the common feature of the four clubs?
A．Competitions.            B．Sponsorship.   
C．Scientific researches.       D．Teamwork.
62．The passage mainly talks about         .
A．the state academic competitions     B．middle school clubs
C．extra – curricular activities        D．the gifted students

B

       At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.

       The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.

       The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded (相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.

       I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.

46.   What do we know about the author?

       A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he live.

       B. He made a study of many farms before buying.

       C. He made money by buying and selling farms.

       D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

47.   Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

       A. It was of good market value.                  B. It was next to the highway.

       C. It was is a good position.                       D. It was behind a nice garden.

48.   Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

       A. He was afraid the owner might change his mind.

       B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.

       C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.      D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

49.   The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ________.

       A. the money the author lost in buying the farm

       B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place

       C. the removal of the trees around the house

       D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

50.   What does the author believe as important in life?

       A. To own a farm.                                           B. To satisfy his needs.

       C. To be free from worries.                        D. To live in the countryside.

C

With only about 1,000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species. That’s a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.

  Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr, Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

  It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

  This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

  The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

  “ The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available ( capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes, “ They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy ( having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the project at Texas A&M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

  “They are trying to do something that’s never been done, this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

64. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to ______.

make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

save endangered animals from dying out

collect DNA of endangered animals to study

transfer the nuclear of name animal to another

According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of ______.

A. available panda eggs                B. host animals      

C. qualified researchers                D. enough money

66. The best title for the passage may be ______.

   A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning         B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

   C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas   D. China-- the Native Place of Pandas Forever

67. From the passage we know that ______.

   A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

   B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

   C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

   D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

C

  With alarming regularity,we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills(泄露) on people,nature,and the environment.

   Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals,beaches,and land spoiled by the oil.Unfortunately,when many of these chemicals are used,,more damage is caused to the environment,especially to lives in the sea.

   Of all of today’s environmental disasters ,an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious.Although oil is poisonous,it is a natual material.In the end,it breaks down naturally.There are,of course,long-term effects,but it is usually more serious in the short term.

   Nature by itself woks better than chemical materials,but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible.In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tones of oil into the ocean,If you go there today,you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened.

    Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental 

damage.Interestingly the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run I

   We shoule be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil,Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies，such as cars run by solar power（太阳能），electricity,

hydrogen，and so on.Much of this research has ,in the past been held back by the oil,gas,and coal.

If the world’s millions of cars were 10% more efficient（高效的）—and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient？we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year.If this happened,the risks of oil spills would be reduced，and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher ,too.

63.What is the passage mainly talking about?

   A.Oil spills pollution               B.What oil pollution is

   C.Oil tanker accidents              D.How to reduce oil pollution

64.How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe？

   A.By giving a description           B.By making an argument

   C.By giving an example            D.By drawing a diagram

65.What does the underlined word “risk”in paragraph 5 refer to?

   A.Tansportation depending more on oil

   B.Poisonous oil breaking down naturally

   C.Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea

   D.More environmental damage being caused

66.Which suggestion，is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?

   A.We should build safer tankers in the near future

   B.We shoule develop new technologies to cut oil use

   C.Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines

   D.Countries should bulid more oil pipelines under the sea