42. According to the passage, when we decide to go for it, we only consider ________

　　　 A. safety　　　　　　　　　　 B. action　　　　　　　　 C. result　　　　　　　　　　 D. situation

43. In which of the following situations should we use the expression nowadays?

　　　 A. We decide to avoid trouble or danger for the future.

　　　 B. We try to improve our English for better education.

　　　 C. We need to make a quick decision at the last moment.

　　　 D. We have to make a choice between success and failure.

No. 12

A Battery’s Worst Nightmare (噩梦)

Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries and, let’s face it, batteries aren’t very good, especially when compared with, say, petrol, which packs 100 times a battery’s energy into an equal space. That’s why a large group of mechanical engineers (centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with partners at other universities and companies) are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel. Imagine a battery-free life! When the fuel runs out in your laptop or mobile phone, you just fill up and go.

The engine-about the size of a ten-cent coin-starts with a combustion chamber (燃烧室) that burns hydrogen (氢) . Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers (硅片) in the same manner that computer parts are imprinted onto integrated circuits (集成电路). The first engine is made up of five wafers. And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips, they could probably be produced quite cheaply.

But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency(效率). Tiny engine parts don’t always behave like their scaled-up parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the works, according to Columbia University professor Luc Frechette, one of the engine’s designers. Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem, often leaking to other parts of the engine.

The scientists’ goal is to create an engine that will operate at 10 percent efficiency -that is, 10 times better than batteries operate. Frechette says that a complete system, with all parts of place and working, will be set up in the next couple of years, but commercial models aren’t like until at least the end of the next ten years.

41. The expression “Go for it!” comes from _______

　　　 A. English football　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Egyptian football

　　　 C. Japanese football　　　　　　 D. American football

40．This article shows that equal opportunity in education　　　　 .

　　　　 A．is a thing of the past　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

B．has not yet been achieved 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

C．is there for those who deserve(值得拥有)it　

D．has greatly improved our society

No. 11

“Go for it!”

The expression “Go for it!” is a way of encouraging someone to try something.

“Go for it!”means you should not worry about failure or be to careful. You should take a chance, be brave, and act firmly.

“Go for it!”gets name from football. Not football as it is played in most countries such as England, Egypt or Japan, but the kind of football played in the United States and Canada.

One of the most exciting times in football comes when a team has failed, after three attempts, to move the ball forward ten yards. The team must make a critical decision.

The conservative (保守) choice is to kick the ball and accept temporary defeat in order to gain a good position for your team the next time it gets the ball. The more exciting choice, however, is to try a fourth and final time to gain the remaining yards needed.

People present are certain to shout their advice. Some will shout: “Kick the ball!” But others will encourage the team to take a chance. “Go for it!” they will scream.

In the nineteen eighties, people began using this expression in many kinds of situations to encourage someone to act bravely.

There is no guarantee (保证) that the action you “go for it” will succeed.

But that is the chance you take when you decide to go for it. You put your fears behind. You choose courage over safety. You hold your breath and go for it.

39．Many children leave school early because　 　　　.

　　　　 A．their social background makes them unhappy　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 B．they have to give something to their family’s income　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 C．their school is a dull and unhappy place　　

　　　　 D．their parents don’t allow them to make their own decisions

38．Working class children are thought to be at a disadvantage because　　　 .

　　 A．many of the clever ones leave school early　

B．fewer go to university than ever before　　　　

C.　 more than half leave school when they are 16

　 D．fewer boys than girls stay at school after 16

37．People would like to think that　　　　 .

　　　　 A．equal numbers of poor and wealthy children reach university　　

　　　　 B．those with the least money get the best education　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 C．intelligent children are always selected by the system　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 D．only really clever children do well

36．It is hoped that ROSLA will give all children　　　　 .

　　　　 A．a more enjoyable time at school　　　　　　　　 B．the same chances in society　　

　　　　 C．the right to a better school　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．higher scores in intelligence tests

35．Which of the following statements best describes the author’s attitude towards cartoon making?

　　　　 A．Cartoon making is an easy job. Anyone can do it.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 B．Only trained people can be employed in cartoon making industry.　

　　　　 C．Anyone can make cartoons under the instructions of professionals.　　　

　　　　 D．Cartoon making is no easy job. You have to spend much time drawing onto the empty film.

No. 10

　　　　 One of the strongest arguments for the raising of the school leaving age(ROSLA)has been that it will bring us some way nearer to“equality of opportunity”.

　　　　 Many people like to think of our present system of schooling as providing plenty of steps up the ladder of success for clever children. It would be good to think that no one who is really bright can be missed out when the state system is obviously so complete. It is obvious, for instance, that many children from less wealthy homes reach university or do well in other ways.

　　　　 　Unfortunately we now have plenty of proofs that many children of every level of ability do much less well than they could. For instance, during the years of national military service it was possible to test the intelligence(智力)of all male 18 – to – 20 – year – olds.　 Half of those soldiers who were placed in the two highest ability groups had left school at 15.

　　　　 It has also been shown that the percentage of working class children going to university is almost the same now as it was in 1939. One study of 5,000 children from birth to 21 years old shows that up to half the bright pupils from working class homes left school when they reached 16 years old. Moreover, there is no difference in intelligence between the sexes, but far more boys than girls stay in education after 16.

　　　　 It is clear from this and many other proofs that many children are still leaving school too early to benefit from the prizes-money, social respectability, and interesting jobs-which higher education gives. It is clear too that the reasons why such children leave have much to do with their social background. Their parents often need the extra money another money-earner would bring in; they don’t value education for itself because their own was probably dull and unhappy. It is not so much that they force their sons and daughters to leave school, rather that they tend to say, “it’s up to you”.

34．It can be inferred from the passage that　　　 .

　　　　 A．Walt Disney’s cartoon characters were born earlier that Pat Sullivan’s　

　　　　 B．only professionals can create cartoon characters　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 C．Popeye the Sailor and Olive Oyo were famous cartoonists

　　　　 D．the cartoon industry started in the United States

33．According to the passage, Felix the Cat　　　 .

　　　　 A．was created by the American cartoonist Felix　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 B．was designed by Pat Sullivan in the early twentieth century　　　　

　　　　 C．was unable to do what natural cats could not do　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　 D．was created in the United States in the nineteenth century