Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.

     Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.

Now the American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D. C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.

Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed--- related hazards are the greatest--- curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.

Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bar.

Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

63. The passage mainly discusses ___________.

   A. a new way of highway speed control         B. a new pattern for painting highways

   C. a new approach to training drivers           D. a new type of optical illusion

64. On roads painted with chevrons drivers tend to feel that ___________.

   A. they should avoid speed-related hazards      B. they are driving in the wrong lane

   C. they should slow down their speed          D. they are approaching the speed limit

65. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former__________.

   A. can keep drivers awake                   B. can cut road accidents in half

   C. will have a longer effect on drivers          D. will look more attractive

66. The American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to __________.

   A. try out the Japanese method in certain areas.

   B. change the road signs across the tested areas

   C. replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons

   D. repeat the Japanese road patterns

LSE Summer School 2013 is suitable for those who are at, or are about to start university. It will begin accepting applications in January 2013.

   Courses: Accounting and Finance; Economics; Management; Law; International Relations;

           Government and Society

   Dates: Session 1 : 7 July –25 July

         Session 2 : 28 July –15 August

   Rate:

   Standard Rate: One session : $ 1,400; Both sessions: $ 2,400

   Reduced Student Rate: One session: $ 1,100; Both sessions: $ 1,875

   The reduced student rate applies to full-time students currently enrolled at a university or college anywhere in the world. Accommodation is not included, and fees range from $ 500—$ 1,000 for 20 nights.

   Applicant requirements:

   If you have studied in the UK then you do not need any additional English qualifications. Students from other countries will generally not require a visa to study at the Summer School, however, you will enter the UK as a “Student Visitor”. Course transfers are permitted before the start of the programme and within the first three days of the session.

   Contact hours and teaching methods:

   Summer School courses are full-time and normally consist of 48 contact hours over the three-week period, taking the form of 36 hours of lectures and 12 hours of classes. Lectures, attended by all students, take place in either the morning or afternoon supplemented by small one-hour classes, of approximately 15 students.

   Assessment and examinations:

   Assessment for Summer School is based upon the results of either two written examinations, or a final written examination and assessed work. Examinations are required and no exception can be made for any reason.

   Summer School lecture series:

   Famous economists –Tony Giddens and David Held have agreed to give lectures to Summer School participants in 2013.

   If you have any questions, please click here to see our Frequently Asked Questions / Contact Us Page.

60. During the course, __________________.

  A. students can learn about everything from culture to science

  B. students can choose not to attend the lectures they don’t like

  C. world-famous economists will give students lessons every day

  D. all the students must take part in the exams

61. From the passage, we can learn that ________________.

  A. students can charge their courses whenever they want to

  B. the programme is specially designed for foreign students

  C. the LSE Summer School 2013 is a university-level programme

  D. a visa is required to study at the LSE Summer School 2013

62. The purpose of the advertisement is to _____________.

  A. attract students to LSE Summer School 2013

  B. advertise for new comers for universities

  C. help students to choose the universities they are interested in

  D. introduce famous economists to students

For centuries, ships became isolated as soon as they were out of sight of shores and of other ships. This meant that if a ship met with any problems while at sea, they would sink without anyone knowing their fate. This isolation ended up with the invention of the wireless telegraph and Morse code.

By 1904, many transatlantic ships had wireless telegraph on board. Realizing a need for a widely recognized distress call, the letters “CQD” became the first distress call. But at that time different countries used different distress calls.

At the Radio and Telegraphic Conference held in Berlin in 1906, it was noted that there needed to be an internationally agreed upon and recognized signal for distress. No longer should Great Britain use “CQD” while Germany used “SOE”. After much discussion, the letters “SOS” were agreed upon. Although many have later stated that the letters stand for “Save Our Ship”, “Save Our Souls” or “Sink Or Swim”, it is not what the statements mean.

After being agreed upon at the Radio and Telegraphic Conference, the Morse code signal of three dots, three dashes, and then three dots (sent together, without spacing) went into effect as the international signal for distress 2 years later. The letters were chosen because the Morse code of three dots, three dashes, and three dots was easy to recognize and people were able to make as few mistakes as possible when sending it.

Although officially the international signal for distress was “SOS”, many people still used the old signal of “CQD”. Even in 1912, when the Titanic began to sink, its radio operator first sent the “CQD” distress signal. Then another operator suggested also sending the new “SOS” signal. It took several years for “SOS” to replace the old signal.

56. “SOS” went into effect as the international signal for distress in __________.

   A. 1904              B. 1906               C. 1912            D. 1908

57. Which of the following is the correct Morse code for “SOS”?

   A. • • •△△△• • •                       B. ‐‐‐○○○‐‐‐ 

   C. • • •‐‐‐• • •                       D. ‐‐‐• • •‐‐‐

58. The Titanic sent distress signals by using _____________.

   A. both “CQD” and “SOS”                 B. neither “CQD” nor “SOS”

   C. either “CQD” or “SOS”                 D. nothing but “SOS”

59. This passage mainly talks about ___________.

   A. why people mistook “SOS” for “ Save Our Ship”

   B. when “SOS” was invented as the international distress signal

  C. how “SOS” was accepted as the international distress signal

   D. why the old signal of “CQD” was given up

 “Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.” I saw this wonderful old ___36____ again in a book recently. It got me to thinking about all the times that I have been able to___37____ others in my life and all the ____38___ that it has brought me. One memory ____39___ particularly well.

I was a young boy spending a week at 4-H camp during the Summer. I was having a ___40____ time and enjoying everything about it except for another young boy about my age. We spent most of the week irritating and picking on each other. ____41___ finally came to blows on the next to last day of camp. We got into a fist ___42___ which I lost. ____43___ , older boys broke it up before I was hurt too much. I spent the rest of the day alone, sulking and stewing in my own ___44___.

      The next day my spirits were ___45____ , however, when my Mom brought the boys in our cabin some of her ____46___ homemade pizzas. I was ____47___ a few slices of it when I saw the other boy sitting by himself at the bottom of the steps outside. He seemed very ___48___ right then. I am not sure what ____49___ me to do so, but I took my pizza down and ____50___ it with him. It made all the anger and ___51____ inside me go away. We became friends after that. I had found out that sharing and forgiving were way more ____52___ and a lot less painful.

      Forgiveness truly is the sweetest revenge. It can turn an enemy into a friend. It can ____53___ a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain. It can help you to ___54___ by the Golden Rule and to create a Golden Life. ____55___ your life always be full of sweet forgiveness then.

36. A. sign               B. signal                C. saying                  D. theory

37. A. respect                      B. punish                  C. reward                    D. forgive

38. A. joy                     B. change                         C. trouble                 D. lesson

39. A. sticks out           B. stands out            C. picks out                 D. comes along 

40. A. great                B. hard                        C. long                     D. quick

41. A. Gestures            B. Words                     C. Actions                    D. Forces

42. A. struggle        B. display                C. competition              D. fight  

43. A. Hopefully           B. Disappointedly       C. Thankfully                D. Strangely

44. A. anger                 B. regret                          C. rudeness                  D. sadness 

45. A. dropped             B. lifted                    C. cleared                 D. changed

46. A. hot                 B. ready                    C. smelly                     D. delicious

47. A. cutting                      B. finishing                   C. enjoying                  D. passing

48. A. lonely                 B. ashamed                   C. worried                   D. amazed

49. A. helped             B. moved                  C. forced                D. inspired

50. A. discussed            B. separated              C. divided                    D. shared

51. A. fear                   B. wound                     C. pain                        D. sorrow

52. A. fun                     B. helpful                  C. kind                     D. realistic

53. A. protect                      B. cure                      C. free                         D. prevent

54. A. stand              B. live                       C. go                        D. stop

55. A. Can              B. Should               C. Must                D. May

----- Do you understand what I am talking about?

----- __________ , but not very clear.

　 A. Thanks, no problem　　　 B. Sort of　　　 C. Not a little　　　 D. Yes, all right

It's ________belief that parents have to spend nearly 500,000 yuan bringing up a child in China nowadays.

A．beyond　 　　　　B．in　 　　　　　 C．without　　 　　　D．against　

It was in time of danger ________he made the final decision ________they should send more doctors there.

A．that; that 　　　 B．when; that 　　　 C．when; what　　 　 D． that; what

 I ________ to him because he phoned me shortly afterwards.

   A. ought to have written                 B. must have written

   C. couldn’t have written                 D. needn’t have written

He spoke for a long time at the meeting but his meaning didn’t really ________.

   A. came across        B. came up            C. came to         D. came over

----- Your sitting room looks so clean and tidy.

----- Well, thanks to the baby-sitter. She is a real ________.

A. finding　　　　　 B. invention　　　　　 C. find　　　　　 D. discovery