It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

   The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

   I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

   People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

1.Why was the bike so important to the couple?

   A. The man’s job was bike racing.           B. It was their only possession.

   C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.             D. They used it for work and daily life.

2.We can infer from the text that ____________.

   A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.       B. people were busy before Christmas

   C. the stranger brought over the bike         D. life was hard for the young family.

3.How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

   A. From radio broadcasts.                 B. From a newspaper.

   C. From TV news.                       D. From a stranger.

4.What do the couple learn from their experience?

   A. Strangers are usually of little help.        B. One should take care of their bike.

   C. News reports make people famous.       D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This is one of life’s __1__ questions and people have been debating about it for thousands of years. Now scientists believe they have solved this _2__. Researchers from Sheffield and Warwick Universities in England discovered the answer __3__. They used a super computer to observe the shell-making process while a new shell was __4__. Then they found one protein called OC17 that is __5__ for forming eggshell. This is only found inside a chicken’s body, which is proof that the _6__ came first. The team was __7__ looking at how animals and birds make eggshells but suddenly made their surprising __8__. The big question now is where chickens came from. The _9__ is from dinosaurs.
The research team said eggshells are one of nature’s most __10__ creations. Professor John Harding from the team told reporters: “Understanding how chickens make eggshells is fascinating in itself, but it can also be __11__ in designing new materials.” Eggshells are very lightweight but incredibly strong. Even the most up-to-date materials __12__ by the world’s top engineers can not produce anything as __13__ as an eggshell. Professor Harding added that __14__ eggshells could help to cure bone diseases and design materials for the construction industry.“Nature has found wonderful ways that __15__ for all kinds of problems in materials science and technology — we can learn a lot from them.” he said.

Despite bankruptcies，lay off and tighter comsumers spending，a few femaleled  businesses in Japan are developing well.

Shizue Hamada，52，set up a business in 1991 with eight other housewives-to care for the elderly and the physically disabled.

It wasn’t long before the Tasukeai Yui(mutual -aid group) earned a reputation for    its excellent  service. It now employs 200  staff  and  has  300 million  yuan(US $2.4million)in annual sales.

The woman said their business has been successful because they provide what  customrs really want.

These entrepreneurs are making use of a revalized  and  healthy demand  for everyday basic items.

Bread，for instance，is  in  high demand．Business  woman  Meiko Tanaka，26，started selling high-quality bread over the Internet in 2000．“Bread is cheap，”she said.“We migh  as well eat the bread baked using the the highest-quality ingredients.”

Five women—former office workers in their late 20s—have started the“OL Food Bureau of Investigation”to review restaurants on the  Internet.OL means young    office lady. It’s  a common nickname in Japan．

Business is increasing rapidly．Membership for their online magazine has reached 26，000． Their non-professional comments  seem to carry a lot of weight with consumers．This month the five women will be appearing on Japanese TV．

   What all these female entrepreneurs have in common is a strong belief in their  likes and dislikes，and confidence is their own sensibilities．

   They find gaps in the market and fill them with products and services that they like or want.

   Japanese women headed nearly 6 percent of all  businesses in Japan at the end of  June—up from 4.5 per cent in 1999．

   These female—led micro—businesses are playing an increasingly large role in the economy by plugging the gap between supply and demand.

1.When talking about the businesswomen in Japan，the writer       

A.thinks little of them

B.thinks that they will take the place of men in future

C.sings the praises of  their abilities

D.is not sure of  their future development

2.The passage mainly discusses .      

A.Japanese women                        B.female-led businesses in Japan

C.how to earn a reputation                 D.Japanese economic development

3.The five women will be appearing on Japanese TV because         .

A.thier comments have great influences on consumers

B.they have set up the first online magazine

C.they have arranged handreds of jobs for laid?off workers

D.they used to work in offices and are fairly beautiful

4.If an old man in Japan can't live by himsilf，he should turn to        for hehp.

A.Tasukeai Yui  B.Meiko Tanaka   C.OL Food Bureau of lnvestigation   D.entrepreneurs

Can storms in Africa cause asthma(哮喘) in the Caribbean(加勒比)? Islanders point to the desert insects that land on beaches after a 5,000-kilometer flight across the Atlantic. If they can use winds to get from one continent to another, so can clouds of dust that carry disease.

Scientists think that as Africa becomes drier, dust from expanding deserts is being blown away into Caribbean islands. A study in Barbados shows that asthma has increased 17 times since Africa’s drought(干旱) began in 1973.

Other forms of life are suffering, too. Among them are the Caribbean’s famous coral reefs( 珊瑚礁), which began dying in large numbers in the 1900s. Eugene Shinn of the U.S. Geiological Sudrvey(USGS) in Florida went to the virgin Islands to study the reefs. The tests he and his colleagues carried out showed that the coral was dying of disease caused by Africa microbes(微生物) from across the ocean.

William Sprigg of the University of Arizona is studying the problem as part of a major UN project. He says that dust is causing problems in the U.S., too.

“We are just beginning to collect the evidence of airborne(空气传播的) dust influences on human health,” he told The Washington Post.

Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

  A. Dangerous Dust                                        B. Dangerous Disease

C. Changing Weather                               D. Developing Technology

Where does the dust talked about in this passage come from?

  A. America.                     B. Africa.                            C. The Atlantic.             D. The Pacific.

The increase of asthma in the Caribean is probably related to _____ according to scientists.

  A. desert insects         B. strong winds             C. airborne dust            D. dry weather

Which of the following is NOT true about the Caribbean coral reefs?

  A. They are in Florida. 

B. They used to be very beautiful.

  C. They began dying in the past decades. 

D. The African microbes have bad effect on them.

Which of the following is TRUE about William Sprigg?

  A. He is a member of UN.

B. He thinks African dust also affects the US.

  C. He has collected enough evidence about dust influences.

  D. He is a reporter from The Washington Post.

三..完形填空（２０分）
The town of Pressure and the town of Pleasure were neighbors but they had nothing in common. Residents built walls to   36    influence from the other town.
In Pressure, everyone struggled to be the very   37  . When women gave birth, they would compete to have the baby with the loudest  38  . There was violent competition in every aspect of life. Because   39    was the symbol of success, people were always busy making money, with no time for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t    40  the intensity(紧张) and chose to drink to escape.
In Pleasure, the motto was: 41   you like it, do it. People grew up without pressure and   42    do anything they liked. Children played computer games day   43   night. At school, teachers didn’t care   44    students came or not. Workers might sit around the office all day long drinking coffee and doing  45  .Thanks to the lack of regulations，nobody worried about   46    their jobs. It was pleasure that   47 . The computers they used were old   48    from the town of Pressure.
Some of the young were addicted to drugs   49   the emptiness(空虚) of their lives.Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is life   50  ?” But, just before life in the two towns completely   51   , there came a great person---Mr Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and    52   advice. People in Pressure learnt to be content with what they had   53   people in Pleasure began to make plans. They   54    the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The town’s people came to   55    the truth---there is no gap between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes(极端;两极端).
36. A. pick out        B. put out             C. leave out          D. keep out
37. A. best            B. richest             C. worst              D. least
38. A. smile           B. laugh              C. cry                D. sign
39. A. wealth          B. health             C. happiness           D. pleasure
40. A. catch           B. bear               C. make              D. live
41. A. Even though     B. Unless             C. As long as          D. While
42. A. should          B. might             C. had                D. could
43. A. and             B. after              C. or                 D. by
44. A. what            B. who              C. where              D. whether
45. A. nothing         B. something         C. anything            D. everything
46. A. finding          B. asking             C. doing              D. losing
47. A. mattered        B. cared             C. considered          D. minded 
48. A. ones            B. those            C. that                D. one
49. A. compared to     B. thanks to          C. as a result           D. because of
50. A. for             B. at                C. in                  D. to
51. A. gave            B. failed             C. lost                 D. saved
52. A. following        B. taking            C. seeking             D. giving
53. A. when            B. as                C. while               D. since
54. A. pulled off       B. pulled down       C. pulled out           D. pulled up
55. A. tell             B. realize            C. perform            D. doubt