67．The layer of soil that provides necessary nutrients for plant growth is called．

　　 A．1itter　　 B．topsoil　　 C．humus D．subsoil

66．An exchange student staying at QUT for five days has to travel between zones every day．What type of ticket would he probably buy?

　 A．Single．　　 B．Weekly．　　 C．Off-peak Daily． D．Ten-trip Saver．

D

Have you ever noticed the colour of the water in a river or stream after a heavy rainfall? What do you think caused this change in colour? It is soil that has been washed into the river from the riverbank or from the nearby fields．

Components of Soft

　　 Soil is made up of a number of layers(层)，each having its own distinctive colour and texture．The upper layer is known as the litter．It acts like a blanket, limiting temperature changes and reducing water loss．The topsoil layer is made up of small particles of rock mixed with rotten plant and animal matter called humus(腐殖质)，which is black and gives the topsoil its dark colour．This layer is usually rich in nutrients，oxygen，and water．Below the topsoil is the subsoil，a layer that contains more stones mixed with only small amounts of organic matter．This layer is lighter in colour because of the lack of humus．Beneath the soil lies a layer of bedrock．

　　 Soil forms from the bottom up．Over time bedrock is attacked by rain, wind，frost, and snow．It is gradually broken down into smaller particles in a process called weathering．Plants begin to grow，and rotten materials enrich the topsoil．Most of the soil in Eastern Canada, for example, was formed from weathered rock that was exposed when the ice disappeared l2,000 years ago．

Water Beneath the Soil

　　 Surface water collects and flows above the ground in lakes, ponds, and rivers．Once in the soil or rock，it is called groundwater．Gravity pulls groundwater through the soil in a process called percolation(渗透)．Eventually the water reaches a layer called the water table．Under this is bedrock through which water cannot percolate．

　　 As water percolates downward，it dissolves organic matter and minerals from the soil and carries them to deeper layers．This causes a serious problem because plants require these nutrients for growth.

Soil pH

　　 Soil can be acidic, neutral, or basic．The pH of the soil is determined by the nature of the rock from which it was formed．and by the nature of the plants that grow and rot in it．

　　 The acidity of rain and snow can lower the pH of the groundwater that enters the soil．By burning fossil fuels such as coal，oil and gasoline，humans have been contributing to higher levels of acidity in many soils．When fossil fuels are burned, gases are released into the air and then fall back to earth as acid rain．Acid soil increases the problem of carrying nutrients to lower soil levels．As nutrients are removed，soil is less fertile．Plants grow more slowly in acidic soil，and also become easily attacked by diseases．

65．We can learn from the passage that　　　　 ．

A．buses are scheduled as usual on weekends and public holidays

B．regular students at QUT need to buy adult tickets

C．pre-paid tickets can be bought from the Public Transport Information Centre

D．ten­-trip Savers can be used at off-peak time

64．The transport guide above is most likely provided by　　　　 ．

A．Public Transport Information Centre

B．the Brisbane City Council

C．Queensland University of Technology．

D．BCC Customer Service Centres

63．Which of the following sentences from the text BEST indicates that the teacher is very considerate?

A．In her calm，motherly voice she said，“By the end of winter，…”(Paragraph 2)

B．With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to…(Paragraph 4)

C．…．she still managed to look both helpful and interested．(Paragraph 4)

D．…，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl.(Paragraph 4)

C

Transport Guide

　The Brisbane City Council(BCC)is responsible for bus and ferry services within the city limits and suburbs．Most buses will either arrive at the city or an interchange where connecting buses can be caught．BCC buses operate from 5：30 am to 11：00 pm Monday to Thursday and 5：30 am to 12：00 am on Fridays .On weekends and public holidays buses operate less frequently. Prepaid bus tickets can be purchased from the QUT (Queensland University of Technology)bookshop，the campus newsagency, most other newsagencies and general stores，and any BCC Customer Service Centre．Short-term students at QUT cannot use their ID cards to gain a discount fare on BCC public transport．You will need to buy an adult ticket to travel．Bus fares are dependent on the number of zones you have to travel．There are several types of tickets：

Single：one way ticket to reach your destination，including transfers within 2 hours．

Daily: unlimited travel within the zones．

Off-peak Daily：discounted unlimited travel between 9：00 am and 3：30 pm and after 7：00 pm Monday to Friday, and all day on weekends and public holidays．

Weekly：unlimited travel within the zones for one week from the date of issue．

Monthly：unlimited travel within the zones for one calendar month from the date of issue．

Ten-trip Saver: 10 trips at any time within the zones on buses and ferries only．

　　 Transport routes, timetables and fare information are available from:

Public Transport Information Centre

69 Ann Street (corner of George St)

Brisbane City

　　 Phone l3 12 30(Transport Information Service)

62．It can be inferred that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter，the teacher had to help her put on her boots　　　 ．

　　 A．once　　 B．twice　　 C．three times 　D．four times

61．What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?

A．The gloves in the toes of the boots．　　 B．The slowness of the teacher．

C．The wrong size of the boots．　　　　 D．The unwillingness of the girl．

60．According to the passage，the little girl got　　　 from her brother．

A．the wool snow pants and the jacket　　 B．the jacket and the boots

C．the jacket and the hat 　　　　　　　D．the boots and the gloves

59. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Women Are Socially Trained to Talk　 B. Talking Maintains Relationships

C, Women Love to Talk　　　　　　 D. Men Talk Differently from Women

B

It was the first snow of winter -- an exciting day for every, child but not for most tether. Up until now, l had been able to dress myself for recess(课间休息), but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days ,many times in her long career, but I think she may still remember this one.

I managed to get into my wool snow pants. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will be able to put on your own boots. “ I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.

　I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After mush wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.

I announced，“They’re on the wrong feet．”With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again．Then I said，“These aren’t my boots．you know．”As she pulled the offending boots from my feet，she still managed to look both helpful and interested．Once they were off, I said，“They are my brother’s boots．My mother makes me wear them，and I hate them!” Somehow，from long years of practice，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl．She pushed and shoved, less gently this time，and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet．With a great sigh of relief，seeing the end of her struggle with me，she asked，“Now，where are your gloves?’’

　　 I looked into her eyes and said．“I didn’t want to lose them．so I put them into the toes of my boots．”

58. What does the author want to tell us most?

A. Women' s brains are better organized for language and communication

B. Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.

C. Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.

D. Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.