17．Beijing had its biggest snowfall since 1951．Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap （寒潮） since 1981．And freezing weather is hitting the Deep South，including Florida's orange groves and beaches．
    Whatever happened to global warming？
    Such weather doesn't seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the Earth is warming because of greenhouse gases．But experts say the cold snap doesn't contradict global warming at all-it's just a temporary phenomenon in the long-term heating trend．"It's part of natural variability，"said Gerald Meehl，a senior scientist．With global warming，he said，"we'll still have record cold temperatures．We'll just have fewer of them．"
    Scientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes．But experts did not connect the current cold snap to climate change．
    So what is going on？
"We basically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere"，Arndt said．
In the atmosphere，large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics．This air flow acts like a fence to keep Arctic air restricted．But recently，this air flow has become bent into a zigzag （之字形） pattern，wandering north and south．If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south，you get warm weather．In fact，record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska．
But in the eastern United States，like some other unlucky parts of the globe，Arctic air is coming from the north．And that's how you get a temperature of 3 degrees in Beijing，a reading of minus-42 in mainland Norway，and 18 inches of snow in parts of Britain．The zigzag pattern arises naturally from time to time，but it is not clear why it's so strong right now．
71．What is the best title of the text？D
A．Freezing weather is hitting the Deep South．
B．We'll still have record cold temperatures．
C．The air flow has become a zigzag pattern．
D．Cold snap doesn't contradict global warming．
72．With global warming，we willA．
A．also meet with severe cold snap
B．have more hot temperatures forever
C．never experience cold temperatures
D．have more cold temperatures
73．According to experts，the current cold snapB．
A．suggests that the climate has changed greatly
B．is not related to the climate change
C．shows that the climate will turn cold
D．is affected by global warming
74．Beijing had its biggest snowfall since 1951 because ofC．
A．a fence from the Arctic                  
B．a cooling trend in climate
C．a big outbreak of Arctic air             
D．its large population
75．We can conclude thatA．
A．not all the parts of the Northern Hemisphere are cold in face of the cold snap
B．the zigzag pattern arises naturally accidentally
C．Beijing will get cold weather next year
D．Washington state and Alaska will not face cold weather next year．

16．Sleeping in on Saturday after a few weeks of too little shuteye may feel refreshing，but it can give a false sense of security．
New research shows long-term sleep loss cannot be cured that easily．Scientists researched the effects of short-and long-term sleep loss and found that those who suffer long-term sleep loss may function normally soon after waking up，but experience steadily slower reaction times as the day goes by，even if they had tried to catch up the previous night．
The research has important safety significances in an increasingly busy society，not just for shift-workers but for the roughly one in six Americans who regularly get six hours or less of sleep a night．
"We know that staying awake 24 hours without sleep will affect your performance to do all sorts of things，and this effect equals to drinking too much when driving，"said lead researcher Dr．Daniel Cohen of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital．But when those who suffer long-term sleep loss become all-nighters，"the harm is increased ten times，"Cohen said．
The National Institutes of Health says adults need seven hours to nine hours of sleep for good health．Regularly getting too little sleep increases the risk of health problems，including memory impairment and a weakened immune system．More immediately，too little sleep affects reaction times； sleepiness is to blame for car crashes and other accidents．
It has critically important complicated and unexpected results for anyone who works"crazy hours"and thinks they are performing fine with a few hours of weeknight sleep，said Harris，director at New York's Montefiore Medical Center．"Don't think you can just bank up your sleep on the weekend，because it doesn't work that way，"he warned．
61．The text mainly advises peopleC．
A．to sleep more time                         
B．to sleep in on Saturday
C．to sleep scientifically                     
D．to sleep little on weekend
62．People with long-term sleep lossB．
A．are quicker in thinking                   
B．may feel refreshed soon after waking up
C．are surely energetic                        
D．can have a strong sense of security
63．What can we learn from the text？B
A．Most of the Americans get six hours or less of sleep a night．
B．Staying up is worse for those who suffer long-term sleep loss．
C．Traffic accidents have little to do with sleepiness．
D．One in six Americans are all-nighters．
64．Which of the following is the immediate effect of long-term sleep loss？C
A．Health problems                            
B．Immune system
C．Reaction times                              
D．Memory impairment
65．The underlined phrase"bank up"in the last paragraph most probably meansA．
A．pile up      B．pick up      C．add up               D．build up．

15．There is a definite possibility that the climate of the world may be changing．Some scientists imagine that this could even mean the beginning of another ice age．The effects of such a change in climate on the human population of the world would be amazing．
  Recent research suggests that the general warming trend of the past hundred years or so may be coming to an end．During the past ten years，meteorologists（气象学家）tell us the average temperature of the earth has dropped about one degree Fahrenheit．This does not seem like much，but it could have effects on wind and rain patterns which influence the overall weather picture．If these patterns change a lot，it could mean that certain regions of the world may continue to have long droughts（干旱）while others will possibly suffer from widespread flooding．
  What regulates the climate is not exactly known．Meteorologists believe that clouds may be an important factor in regulating the amount of solar（太阳的）heat held by the earth，which in turn determines the temperature of the planet．Another possibility is that man's industrial and agricultural methods may be affecting the natural weather patterns．However，the weather is not understood well enough for scientists to say for certain what is happening to the climate and what side effects this will actually have on the world's population．
56．According to the text，the climate of the world seems toA．
A．be getting colder
B．be getting warmer
C．remain the same in the past ten years
D．have good effects on the world's population
57．According to what you have read，which of the following is true？D
A．Another ice age will come soon．
B．Man's activities have no effect on the climate．
C．People don't care about the changing climate．
D．Scientists are not yet sure about the reason for the changing climate．
58．The underlined word"regulates"in the third paragraph probably means"B"．
A．manages          B．controls        C．prevents       D．protects
59．The best title for the text would beC．
A．Droughts and Floods        
B．Meteorologists
C．Changing Climate          
D．Solar Heat．

14．Honk!Squeak!
What is that？If you're going through puberty（青春期），it could be your voice．Both boys and girls experience voice changes as they grow older，but girls'voices get only a little deeper．A boy's voice，on the other hand，may change quite a bit-from sounding like a little kid to sounding like somebody's dad!
How does this happen？The larynx，your voice box，actually gets bigger during puberty．One of its jobs is to let you talk，sing，hum，yell，laugh，and make all sorts of noises．
When a boy reaches puberty，his body begins making lots of testosterone（睾丸激素），which causes his larynx to grow and his vocal cords（声带） to get longer and thicker．
Before puberty，your larynx is pretty small and your vocal cords are kind of small and thin．That's why your voice is higher than an adult's．As you go through puberty，the larynx changes．As your body adjusts to this changing equipment，your voice may"crack"or"break"．But this process lasts only a few months．
Not only do older guys and men sound different from boys，but you can also see the difference in their necks．When the larynx grows bigger，part of it sticks out inside the neck．You can see it at the front of the throat．This is known as the Adam's apple．For girls，the larynx also grows bigger but not as much as in boys，so you can't see it through a girl's skin．
Everyone's timetable is different，so some kids'voices might start to change earlier and some might start a little later．Some voices might drop gradually，while others might drop quickly．
If this hasn't happened to you yet，don't worry．And if you're going through this now，try not to stress too much about the funny noises you make．It can help to talk to a parent，or a friend who's already gone through the voice change．Before you know it，your voice will sound clear，strong，and more grown-up!

60．What's the text mainly aboutC？
A．Funny noises．  B．Vocal cords．  C．Voice changes．  D．The Adam's apple．
61．An adult's voice is lower than a child's because the adultB．
A．doesn't reach his puberty
B．has a longer and thicker vocal cord
C．is going through his puberty
D．has something wrong with his throat
62．Who has"the Adam's apple"C？
A．Boys．  B．Girls．  C．Men．  D．Women．
63．What does the writer think of voice changesA？
A．Natural．  B．Funny．  C．Unpleasant．  D．Interesting．

13．A new power plant in Nakoso，Japan，might someday change everything for coal plants．Since the new power plant fired up in September，the designer，Mistubishi，is expecting to prove it's possible to burn coal without polluting．This technology is known as integrated gasification combined cycle （IGCC）．Proving IGCC works should give Mitsubishi's US partner，NRG Energy，the jump other hurdles to building new clean plants．
The project promised to solve the problem of the ages for power plants：how to produce cheap，clean，reliable electricity．No existing technology can do all three perfectly．
The problem is IGCC isn't there yet．It costs about 20 percent more than traditional plants．And even though it's easier to collect the resulting carbon dioxide from an IGCC plant than a traditional plant，there's no proven way to get rid of the greenhouse gas．One plan is to drill a shaft（通道） to pump the carbon dioxide underground，into saltwater formations．But there's no guarantee it will remain underground forever．
NRG administrators think solving the IGCC riddles is worth the trouble because they expect the U．S．will soon limit the amount of carbon dioxide that power generators may give out．
"With the additional cost of IGCC，to just voluntarily build something that's 20 percent more expensive，that's commercial suicide，"NRG chief administrator，David Crane said．
NRG administrators expect the cost to decline after six or seven plants are built．But other industry experts think it will take about a dozen plants for the price to be competitive with traditional coal plants．
Takaya Watanabe，a vice general manager of Mitsubishi，admits that the cost challenges are difficult．"It's good for a company to say we want to be green，but unless someone is willing to pay，it's a dream．It won't keep our family eating rice，"he said．
64．What is expected of the new technology？A
A．To make electricity without polluting the air．
B．To produce energy without burning coal．
C．To keep the use of electricity cheaper．
D．To pump carbon dioxide more easily．
65．What's the biggest problem the companies are faced with？B
A．How to pump greenhouse gases．
B．How to deal with the high cost．
C．How to get along with other partners．
D．How to improve the new technology．
66．What can be inferred from the passage？D
A．New technologies are unacceptable to people．
B．It's unlikely to build more new power plants．
C．The companies are run on a tight budget．
D．Going green is easier said than done．

12．Fujitsu，a Japanese technology company，has created a system capable of simultaneously（同时地）charging multiple portable electronic devices such as mobile phones，digital cameras and laptop computers without the need for cable connections．
Electric cars users may also eventually be able to charge their vehicles wirelessly using the same technology，said the company，which developed a sample system at Osaka Prefecture University．Claiming to be the world s first of its kind，the technology works on the basis of the transmission of electricity using magnetic fields between the charger and the electronic device．
The system enables wireless charging at distances of up to several meters．With the final aim of installing public"charging spots"on the streets in order to enable easy charging around the clock，scientists at Fujitsu Labs are planning to commercially sell products incorporating the new wireless charging system as early as 2012 but have not yet decided how much they would cost．
‘This technology paves the way to integrating compact wireless charging functions into mobile phones and enabling multiple portable devices to be charged simultaneously without any restrictions on their position relating to the charger，"the company said in a statement．
Mobile phone users in Japan can currently charge their batteries using the disposable portable plug-in battery 一 operated device，available at most train stations and convenience stores．However，phone companies warn long time use of it can damage the phones．
The company added，"We are also looking at applying the results of this work to fields other than portable electronics，including power transmission between circuit boards （电路板）or computer chips，and providing mobile charging systems for electric cars．"
72．This passage is most probably taken fromC．
A．an instructive brochure
B．readers feedback
C．a news report
D．a brief introduction
73．Which of the following can best describe the striking feature of this system？C
A．It enables wireless charging at distances of up to several miles
B．It enables you to charge your device very easily beside the clock
C．It is wireless and makes multiple charging at the same time
D．It can be bought at any formal supermarkets in the city
74．The underlined word"it"in paragraph 5 refers toA．
A．the device B．the system C．the phone D．the battery
75．The best title for the text would beC．
A．Fujitsu，a famous Japanese company
B．power transmission between circuit boards
C．new wireless charging system developed
D．mobile phones damaged by charging．

11．Have you ever had the desire to wander the world and see what was out there？While some people prefer to stay in the comfort of their own home，others have been bitten by the travel bug and cant wait to explore the world．Exotic（异国的）places call to them．"Come visit us and we will show you my mysteries，'they say．
Every year millions of people pack their suitcases or put on backpacks and flock to visit the seven continents of the world．They wander through the castles and museums of Europe，and the cities and natural wonders of North and South America．Some visit the vast exotic cultures of Asia，Africa and the Middle East．The great outback of Australia is a wonderland for those who go there．And a few lucky people even realize their dreams to visit the most mysterious continent on the earth
-Antarctica．
Why do people want to explore the world？It gives them a better understanding about the earth and the people living on it．It opens their minds，it gives them a feeling of accomplishment，and it makes them feel alive．So save some money，get your passport ready，and see the world．It will change your life forever．
56．If a person is bitten by a travel bug，heC
A．prefers to stay at home
B．feels a lot of pain
C．is eager to see the world
D．hates exotic places
57．The writer suggests travelers go toCto experience the most different cultures．
A．America B．Europe C．Asia D．Antarctica
58．From the passage，we can learn that by exploring the world you canD
A．understand the earth and the people
B．open your minds
C．have a sense of achievement
D．live a different life forever
59．What is the passage mainly about？A．
A．Advantages of traveling
B．Interesting places
C．Culture differences
D．Attitudes towards traveling．

10．Some plants get so hungry they eat flies，and even small frogs．What's more amazing is that these plants occur naturally （in special environments） in every state．In fact，they're found on every continent except Antarctica．
You've probably seen a Venus'flytrap--a small plant，which grows 6 to 8 inches tall in a container．At the end of its stalks （茎） are leaves that act like traps （陷阱）．Inside each trap is a lining of tiny hairs．When an insect lands on them，the traps suddenly shut．Over the course of a week or so，the plant feeds on its catch．
The Venus'flytrap is just one of more than 500 species of meat-eating plants，says Barry Meyers-Rice，the editor of the International Carnivorous Plant Society's Newsletter．He states although you might have read some science-fiction stories，no meat-eating plant does any danger to humans．
Barry says a plant is meat-eating，only if it does all four of the following："attract，kill，digest，and absorb"some form of insects．Meat-eating plants look and act like other green plants--well，most of the time．
All green plants make sugar to produce food．What makes meat-eating plants different is their special leaves，which need insects for one reason：nitrogen （氮）．Nitrogen is a nutrient that they can't obtain any other way．Why？
Almost all green plants on our planet get nitrogen from the soil．Meat-eating plants can't．They live in places where nutrients are hard to get from the soil because of its acidity．So they've come to rely on getting nitrogen from insects and small animals．In fact，nutrient-rich soft is poisonous to meat-eating plants．Never fertilize （施肥） them!But don't worry，either，if they never seem to catch any insects．They can survive，but they'll grow very slowly．
64．According to the passage，a Venus'flytrapC．
A．is a small plant which grows in a container
B．is a kind of plant which gets hungry easily
C．can trap and feed on some form of insects
D．can only grow 6-8 inches tall
65．From the passage，we can infer thatC．
A．meat-eating plants are found nowhere else except Antarctica
B．all green plants get nitrogen from the soil
C．meat-eating plants endanger humans in science-fiction stories
D．the nutrient-poor soil is beneficial to meat-eating plants
66．Meat-eating plants grow very slowly，B．
A．so you'd better fertilize them
B．probably because the supply of nitrogen is cut off
C．simply because they can't absorb nitrogen from the soil
D．and then they will die slowly
67．Which of the following is true？C
A．Meat-eating plants look and act like other green plants．
B．It's hard to get nutrients in the soil when acidity is high．
C．The Venus'flytrap eats flies to get nutrient from them．
D．Green plants make sugar at night．

9．He says the problem with teachers is，"What will a kid learn from someone who chose to become a teacher？"He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers：Those who can，do； those who can't teach．
I decide to bite my tongue instead of biting his and stop myself from reminding the other dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers-that they make money from the misfortune of others．
"I mean，you're a teacher，Taylor，"he says to me．"Be honest．What do you make？"
I wish he hadn't asked me to be honest，because now I have to teach him a lesson．
You want to know what I make？
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could．
I can make a C⁺ feel like a great achievement and an A^-feel like a failure．
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best？
I make parents tremble in fear when I call them：
I hope I haven't called at a bad time，
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today．
Billy said，"Leave the kid alone．I still cry sometimes，don't you？"
And it was the bravest act I have ever seen．
I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be．
You want to know what I make？
I make kids wonder．
I make them question．
I make them criticise．
I make them think．
I make them apologies and mean it．
I make them write，write，write．
And then I make them read．
I teach them to solve math problems
that they once thought impossible．
I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your heart
and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make，you teach them a lesson．
Let me make this simple for you，so you know what I say is true；
I make a great difference!What about you？

41．What do we know about the man that the author is speaking to？C
A．He is respectful to teachers．
B．He is in the author's home．
C．He is actually a lawyer．
D．He dislikes lawyers．
42．The underlined phrase"bite my tongue"in Paragraph 2is closest in meaning toD．
A．say something which is wrong
B．speak out honestly but carelessly
C．keep silent about myself
D．stop myself saying what I really think
43．The author called Billy's parents toC．
A．let them tremble in fear
B．ask why Billy cried that day
C．praise what Billy did that day
D．advise them to leave Billy alone
44．What is the tone of the passage？A
A．Angry and proud．
B．Upset and disappointed．
C．Humourous and light-hearted．
D．Cheerful and positive．
45．What's the best title of this passage？B
A．An Argument between Two Guests
B．What Teachers Make
C．Requirements of a Good Teacher
D．A Dinner Conversation．

8．Critical thinking is an important skill that can increase students'ability to learn in any situation．This can be applied to traditional education to traditional education，or directly in a career related role．Many teachers find it such a valuable skill that they give their students a critical thinking question every day．Developing this ability can mean the difference between"just passing a course"and"understanding the material well enough"so that what students learn from it will follow them throughout their life．
Some characteristics of a critical thinker that teacher should encourage are；
-asking questions as a reaction to something  read or discussed；
-determining the"deeper meaning"of particular passage or topic；
-providing input and opinions to topics as a direct result of analysis and research； and
-reasoning in an effort to develop an argument of your own opinion．
It is important for a student to understand more than definition（定义）One way to truly understand an idea is to have heands-on practice，and to apply concepts learned in a  textbook．Such"mini-examples"will interest a student and improve their understanding of a topic．This is how life-long skills can be developed．
Teachers that use critical thinking practices in the classroom can"go above and beyond"by asking questions that promote a greater comprehension of the material．Instructors should be able to challenge students and create an environment where they are analyzing material and gaining a better understanding．This will make the classroom move in a direction for learning．It can also help students to stay interested in the course material，as they always have a new concept to consider．
At the same time，students benefit greatly from developing critical thinking skills．When learned early on，these skills can be used throughout their college education．Students can understand how to consider a topic，analyse it，and discuss it from different points of view．These are skills that will benefit them when they are part of the workforce as well．

31．Critical thinking can best be described asC．
A．a system to improve people's memory
B．a method to expand people's knowledge
C．a way to increase people's ability to understand
D．a process to make people more critical of others
32．The underlined word"it"in Paragraph 1refers toD．
A．the ability  B．the difference  C．the course  D．the material
33．According to the passage，a critical thinker shouldB．
A．ask questions before reading the material
B．be able to develop their own opinions
C．predict the deeper meaning of a topic
D．do more analysis and research
34．The author thinks"mini-examples"are useful because theyC．
A．assist students to better remember definitions
B．give students hands-on practice
C．help to keep students interested
D．help students develop concepts
35．Who are the intended reader of the passage？A
A．Teachers． B．Parents． C．Examines． D．Headmasters．