Every year students flock to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more, than college fees.
Many people think that college bookstore are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually in-stock and students may purchase new textbooks or  choose to buy second-hand books and save money . But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.
More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they stock a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they browse online since there are so many ‘virtual’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shipping costs and delivery time when making their decision.
Online auctions(拍卖) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure  you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you  must depend on the auction seller's timetable.
One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics.
56. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A. Learning to save money on Textbooks           B. Why Buy Textbooks
C. Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks          D. Online Shopping
57. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?
A. Online used bookstores.              B. College bookstores. 
C. Online auctions.                    D. Secondhand bookstore centres.
58. The underlined expression ‘pros and cons’(paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.
A. professionals and conservatives         B. processes and conditions
C. joy and sadness                      D. good and bad points
59. According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.
A. a project to help poor students get free learning materials
B. a government project aimed at helping English majors
C. a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts
D. a website for students to get free sources for English learning
60. From the passage, we can learn that__________.
A. online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books.
B. students should visit many websites before buying their books.
C. the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition
D. students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision.

Every year many students went to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more than, college fees.

Many people think that college bookstores are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually kept and students may purchase new textbooks or choose to buy second-hand books and save money. But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.

More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they keep a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they surf online since there are so many ‘unreal’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shopping costs and delivery time when making their decision.

Online auctions(拍卖) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you  must depend on the auction seller's timetable.

One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics.

1.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A．Learning to Save on Textbooks             B．Why Buy Textbooks

C．Online Shopping                        D．Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks

2.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?

A．College bookstores.                     B．Online used bookstores.

C．Online auctions.                        D．Second-hand bookstore centres.

3.The underlined expression “pros and cons” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.

A．professionals and conservatives            B．joy and sadness

C．advantages and disadvantages              D．processes and conditions

4.According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.

A．a government project aimed at helping English majors

B．a project to help poor students get free learning materials

C．a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts

D．a website for students to get free sources for English learning

5.From the passage, we can learn that__________.

A．the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition

B．online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books

C．students should visit many websites before buying their books

D．students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision

   Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the only measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

   To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a popularly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had smallest effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

   Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to decreasing biodiversity.

   What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.

   All this means that agriculture in the 21^st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require complete thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are unavoidably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the idea that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and unchangeable measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.

   Instead we need a more dynamic explanation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

   What is critical is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

1.How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A．By its productivity.               

B．By its impact on the environment.

C．By its sustainability.               

D．By its contribution to economic growth.

2.What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

　　A．They have remained the same over the centuries.

　　B．They have not kept pace with population growth.

　　C．They are not necessarily sustainable.

　　D．They are environmentally friendly.

3.What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

　　A．It will go through thorough changes.

　　B．It will supply more animal products.

　　C．It will abandon traditional farming practices.

　　D．It will cause zero damage to the environment.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

　　A．To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

　　B．To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

　　C．To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

　　D．To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use．This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives．

To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so ．Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today．It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it brought about was typically localized．In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient．

Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution．Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields．Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable．However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity．

What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050，yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions．

All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th．This will require radical（激进的）thinking．For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones．We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”．The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage．Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used．There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity．It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting, but we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity．

What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production．

72．How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A．By its productivity                 B． By its impact on the environment　　

C．By its sustainability                D．By its contribution to economic growth

73．What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

　　A．They have remained the same over the centuries

　　B．They have not kept pace with population growth

　　C．They are not necessarily sustainable

　　D．They are environmentally friendly

74．What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

　　A．It will go through radical changes

　　B．It will supply more animal products

　　C．It will abandon traditional farming practices

　　D．It will cause zero damage to the environment

75．What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

　　A．To remind people of the need of sustainable development

　　B．To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production

　　C．To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress

　　D．To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is．

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use．This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives．
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so ．Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today．It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it brought about was typically localized．In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient．
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution．Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields．Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable．However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity．
What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050，yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions．
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th．This will require radical（激进的）thinking．For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones．We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”．The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage．Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used．There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity．It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting, but we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity．
What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production．
72．How do people often measure progress in agriculture?
A．By its productivity                 B． By its impact on the environment　　
C．By its sustainability                D．By its contribution to economic growth
73．What does the author think of traditional farming practices?
　　A．They have remained the same over the centuries
　　B．They have not kept pace with population growth
　　C．They are not necessarily sustainable
　　D．They are environmentally friendly
74．What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?
　　A．It will go through radical changes
　　B．It will supply more animal products
　　C．It will abandon traditional farming practices
　　D．It will cause zero damage to the environment
75．What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
　　A．To remind people of the need of sustainable development
　　B．To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production
　　C．To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress
　　D．To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is．