Modern inventions have speeded up people’s lives amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boasts (吹嘘) of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.

       All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind in another time zone. Again, spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientists; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.

       However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed to constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing, or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.

       There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestors faced: they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone. Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.

The new products become more and more time-saving because          .

       A. time is limited                                            B. our love of speed seems never-ending     

       C. the prices are increasingly high                      D. the manufacturers boast a lot

What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

       A. Simple life in the past.                                 B. Imaginary life.                              

       C. Times of inventions.                                     D. Time for constant activity.

What is the author’s attitude towards the modern technology?

       A. Objective.                B. Critical.                   C. Optimistic.               D. Negative.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

       A. Machinery and human beings.                       B. The present and past times.                    

C. Imaginations and inventions.                         D. Modern technology and its influence.

They wear the latest fashions with the most up-to-date accessories(配饰)．Yet these are not girls in their teens or twenties but women in their sixties and seventies．A generation which would once only wear old-fashioned clothes is now favouring the same high street looks worn by those half their age．

Professor Julia Twigg, a social policy expert, said, “Women over 75 are now shopping for clothes more frequently than they did when they were young in the 1960s．In the 1960s buying a coat for a woman was a serious matter．It was an expensive item that they would purchase only every three or four years — now you can pick one up at the supermarket whenever you wish to．Fashion is a lot cheaper and people get tired of things more quickly．”

Professor Twigg analysed family expenditure(支出) data and found that while the percentage of spending on clothes and shoes by women had stayed around the same — at 5 or 6 percent of spending — the amount of clothes bought had risen sharply．

The professor said, “Clothes are now 70 percent cheaper than they were in the 1960s because of the huge expansion of production in the Far East．In the 1960s Leeds was the heart of the British fashion industry and that was where most of the clothes came from, but now almost all of our clothes are sourced elsewhere．Everyone is buying more clothes but in general we are not spending more money on them．”

Fashion designer Angela Barnard, who runs her own fashion business in London, said older women were much more affected celebrity(名流) style than in previous years．

She said, “When people see stars such as Judi Dench and Helen Mirren looking attractive and fashionable in their sixties, they want to follow them．Older women are much more aware of celebrities ．There’s also the boom in TV programmes showing people how they can change their look, and many of my older customers do yoga to stay in shape well in their fifties．When I started my business a few years ago, my older customers tended to be very rich, but now they are what I would call ordinary women．My own mother is 61 and she wears the latest fashions in a way she would never have done ten years ago．”

Professor Twigg found that, compared with the 1960s, _________．

A．the price of clothes has generally fallen by 70%

B．the spending on clothes has increased by 5% or 6%

C．people spend 30% less than they did on clothes

D．the amount of clothes bought has risen by 5% or 6%

What can we learn about old women in terms of fashion？

A．They are often ignored by fashion designers．

B．They are now more easily influenced by stars．

C．They are regarded as pioneers in the latest fashion．

D．They are more interested in clothes because of their old age．

It can be concluded that old women tend to wear the latest fashions today mainly because _________．

A．they get tired of things more quickly     B．TV shows teach them how to change their look

C．they are in much better shape now       D．clothes are much cheaper than before

Which is the best possible title of the passage?

A．Age Is No Barrier for Fashion Fans      B．The More Fashionable, the Less Expensive

C．Unexpected Changes in Fashion         D．Boom of the British Fashion Industry

第四部分 写作技能 (共两节，满分25分)

第一节 双向翻译（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）

    请根据上下文内容，将文中划线部分译成汉语或者英语，并将答案转写到答题卡上。

61. 你有什么贵重物品需要保存么？ Maybe the bankbook(存折) for your pocket money? Love letters from the boy next door? 62. Or old school reports that you are not too proud of?

Now you don't have to hide your stuff under the bed or in the back of your closet. Discovery has a safe(保险箱) that could hold all those things. And 63它只能通过识别你的声音才能打开.

64.Once it recognizes your voice it will automatically pop open. It has a shelf inside as well as a drawer to keep your valuables in. If someone tries to physically crack the safe it will set off an alarm.65.So you know your secrets are safe in this safe!

Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（为地球引力所束缚的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion（推进） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液压燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飞机） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.

“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（热力学的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of  NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.

　　It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.

　Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”

For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”

66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？

A） Because previous seals all failed.

B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.

C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.

D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.

67.The great significance of Voss's findings lies in_________ .

A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights

B） furthering his understanding of NASA

C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs

D） Both A and B

68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？

A） Three  B） Two   C） Four     D） Five

69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？

A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.

B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.

C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.

D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.

70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？

A） The technological significance of the program.

B） The educational significance of the program.

C） The philosophical significance of the program.

D） The historical significance of the program.

第二节 句子翻译（（共10小题上，每小题2.5分，满分25分）

对一个高中生来说，在一周内完成这个任务（task）是很有挑战性的。（It is +adj. +for sb. to do sth.）

正在舞台上跳舞的那个女孩儿是我的小妹妹。（who引导的定语从句）。

玛丽很喜欢吃水果，比如苹果和桔子。（such as）

尽管他很年轻，但他能独立谋生了。（though）

我打电话告诉了警察车祸的事。（inform sb. of sth.）

我在校门口一见到玛丽就把钱还给了她。（upon doing sth.）

我正在努力学习如何用英语提建议。（how to）

别担心。 每个人在人生的某个阶段都会经历这些问题。（experience）

我和爸爸每天晚上花一个小时在操场上锻炼身体。（spend time doing sth.）

到欧洲旅游对我来说是一次令人激动而又愉快的经历。（动名词作主语）

 ___________ returning from abroad, he set about setting up a club for young climbers.

A. Upon             B. At              C. In                D. During

The soccer team has been doing well this season，so they_______win the championship．

A． should                      B．might                  C．would                    D．could

Kids will often ignore your requests for them to shut off the TV,start their chores(杂事),or do their homework as a way to avoid following your directions.Before you know it,you’ve started to sound like a broken record as you repeatedly ask them to do their assignments,clean their room,or take out the trash.Rather than saying “Do your chores now.” you’ll be more effective if you set a target time for when the chores have to be completed.So instead of arguing about starting chores,just say,“If chores aren’t done by 4 pm,here are the consequences.”Then it’s up to your child to complete the chores.Put the ball back in their court.Don’t argue or fight with them,just say,“That’s the way it’s going to be.”It shouldn’t be punitive(惩罚性的)as much as it should be persuasive.“If your chores aren’t done by 4 pm,then no video game time until chores are done.And if finishing those chores runs into homework time,that’s going to be your loss.”On the other hand,when dealing with homework,keep it very simple.Have a time when homework starts,and at that time,all electronics go off and do not go back on until you see that their homework is done.If your kids say they have no homework,then they should use that time to study or read.Either way,there should be a time set aside when the electronics are off.

When a kid wears his iPod or headphones when you’re trying to talk to him,make no bones about it；he is not ignoring you,he is disrespecting you.At that point,everything else should stop until he takes the earplugs out of his ears.Don’t try to communicate with him when he’s wearing headphones — even if he tells you he can hear you.Wearing them while you’re talking to him is a sign of disrespect.Parents should be very tough about this kind of thing.Remember,mutual respect becomes more important as children mature.

31．According to the passage,it seldom happens that ________.

A．kids turn a deaf ear to their parents’ requests

B．parents’ directions sound like a broken record

C．children are ready to follow their parents’ directions

D．parents are unaware of what they are repeating to their kids

32．Parents will be able to deal with their children more effectively if they ________.

A．avoid direct ways of punishment      B．make them do things at their request

C．argue and fight with their children    D．allow their children to behave in their own way

33．When the kid is doing his homework,parents ________.

A．should provide him with a good learning environment

B．can do whatever they like

C．can stay aside watching TV

D．must switch off the power

34．It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．parents should take off his headphones when trying to have a talk with their child

B．it will make no difference that a kid is wearing his earplugs while talking to his parents

C．parents shouldn’t give in to their kid when he shows no sign of respect

D．kids’ purposely talking to their parents with iPod gives them a sense of power and

control

35．The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．that respecting each other is more important than anything else

B．how kids behave to ignore and disrespect their parents

C．that children should make choices and decisions on their own

D．how parents can deal with their kids’ behavior effectively

第二节 语法填空(共10小题；每小题l 5分．满分l5分)

       阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为16—25的相应位置上。

Ms. Mary was over eighty, but she still drove her old car like half her age. She loved driving very fast, and boasted of the fact   16.           she had never, in her thirty-five years of driving, been punished  17.           a driving mistake.

Then one day, she nearly lost her record. A police car followed her, and the policemen in it saw her pass a red light without  18.          (stop).

When Ms. Mary came before the judge, he looked at her severely and said that she was too old to drive a car, and that the reason  19.                     she had not stopped at red light was most probably that her eyes had become weak        20             old age, so that she had simply not seen it.

When the judge had finished  21.            he was saying, Ms. Mary opened the big handbag she was carrying and took out her sewing. Without saying a word, she  22.              (choose) a needle with a very small eye, and threaded it at the first time.

When she had  23               (success) done this, she took the thread out of the needle again and handed both the needle and thread to the judge, saying, “Now it is your turn. I suppose you can drive a car well, and you have no doubts   24.           your eyesight.”

The judge took the needle and tried to thread it. After half a dozen times, he had still not succeeded. The case against Ms. Mary  25.          (dismiss), and her record remained unbroken.

    there is a snowstorm or some other bad weal. her, the mail always comes on time.

       A．Because   B．If      C．When       D．Unless