67. Smallwood booked in at a hotel _________.

A. which had been recommended　　　　　 B. where he had stayed before

C. to which he had been directed　　　　　　 D. of which he knew nothing

66. What can we infer from the passage?

A. No more schools will join the SAT-Optional group.

B. More and more students will not have to sit SAT.

C. SAT will eventually disappear.

D. SAT will still be favored by high school students.

E

Having taken a room at the hotel at which he had been instructed to stay, Smallwood went out; it was a lovely day, early in August, and the sun shone in an unclouded sky. He had not been to Lucerne since he was a boy, but vaguely remembered a covered bridge, a great stone lion and a church in which he had sat, bored yet impressed while they played an organ(风琴); and now wandering along a shady quay(码头)he tried not so much to find his way about a half-forgotten scene as to reform in his mind some recollection(回忆)of the shy and eager boy, so impatient for life, who so long ago had wandered there. But it seemed to him that the most vivid of his memories was not of himself, but of the crowd; he seemed to remember the sun and the heat and the people; the train was crowded and so was the hotel, the lake steamers were packed and on the quays and in the streets you found your way among the holiday-makers. They were fat and old and ugly and strange.

Now, in wartime, Lucerne was as deserted as it must have been before the world at large discovered that Switzerland was the play-ground of Europe. Most of the hotels were closed, the streets were empty, the boats for hire rocked(摇晃)idly at the water's edge and there was none to take them, and in the avenue by the lake the only persons to be seen were serious Swiss taking their dogs for their daily walk. Smallwood felt happy and, sitting down on a bench that faced the water, surrendered(听任)himself to the sensation. The blue water, snowy mountains, and their beauty hit you in the face. So long, at all event, as the fine weather lasted he was prepared to enjoy himself. He didn't see why he should not at least try to combine pleasure to himself with advantage to his country.

65. How do you understand the underlined part?

A. SAT used to play a vital part in one’s application to college.

B. SAT could help students find a better life.

C. SAT could help a student improve academically.

D. SAT could bring students jewels.

64. Why do so many schools begin to drop the SAT for admission?

A. Because SAT is only a test for wealthy students.

B. Because SAT is too expensive.

C. Because SAT high score performers are all from rich families.

D. Because SAT should not weigh that much as to predict college success.

63. What is the passage mainly about?

A. SAT will be abandoned.

B. SAT is a fair requirement for college applicants.

C. SAT is losing its power.

D. SAT will still stay strong in college application.

62. Which of the following is NOT a reason why Li-ion batteries are highly valued?

A. They can store a relatively large amount of energy.

B. They are often used in hi-tech products.

C. They are easy to be fastened to cars.

D. They last a relatively long time after being charged.

D

Earlier this year, Smith College and Wake Forest University decided to drop the standardized test as a requirement for admission. The colleges, two of the most highly ranked among nearly 800 schools to take the step, cited studies that the test favors wealthier students, and voiced growing concern that SAT results are not reasonable predictors of college success.

This fall, the country’s leading college admissions group, led by Harvard’s admissions dean, urged colleges to downplay test results in their acceptance decisions and to consider ending the SAT requirement.

At the same time, a new College Board policy that allows students to show colleges only their best scores drew criticism that it would mainly help wealthy students who could raise their scores with high-priced additional lessons.

“Time will show we’re on the right side of history,” said Audrey Smith, director of admission at Smith College. “We all know we can make well-informed admissions decisions without it. ”

Getting rid of the requirement, on the other hand, “completely changes the dynamic,” said Kristen Tichenor from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which last year became the first nationally ranked science and engineering university to make the SAT optional for admissions.

This year, the college had applications from underrepresented minorities increase by one-third, and more women and minorities eventually enrolled this fall as well.

David Hawkins, director of public policy and research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said high school grades are more accurate than they used to be, making the SAT, once seen as a way to “find jewels in the rough,” less valuable. “It has gotten to the point where the research suggests that the SAT doesn’t tell you much that the grades don’t,” he said.

61. How does Bohn feel about the future of the new technology according to the last paragraph?

A. Confident. 　 　　　　　　　 B. Puzzled. 　　　C. Worried. 　　　　 D. Disappointed.

60. Which is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The ‘plug-in hybrids’ will use electricity completely as driving power.

B. The new technology will contribute to the protection of our environment.

C. The technology of using electricity as driving is quite mature now.

D. The biggest challenge of the new technology is that it will cost us more money.

59. The passage mainly talks about ____ of a new car.

A. the batteries　 　　　　　　　 B. the speed　 　　C. the developing　 　　　 D. the appearance

58. The advertisement is made believable by ___

A. telling stories　 　　　　　　B. using figures

C. making comparisons　 　　　D. asking questions

C

When a handheld video game runs out of power, all you have to do is plug it in and charge it up. Within a few years, some of you might do the same thing with mom's car.

Automobile(汽车)companies are developing vehicles that will plug in to electric sockets(插座), just like many laptops, digital cameras, cellphones and small video game players do. Called "plug-in hybrids(混合动力车)", these cars will get most of their power from electricity. Their drivers will rarely have to stop at gas stations.

The technology is more than just cool. In our automobile-filled world, plug-in vehicles could reduce the amount of gasoline we use. That gas is made from crude oil(原油), which keeps rising in cost. Plus, driving around in these hybrids may even help the environment. Gas-burning cars produce a lot of carbon dioxide, a type of greenhouse gas. These gases stay in the atmosphere, where they trap heat and cause global warming.

The first company-produced plug-in hybrids could hit the roads by 2010. But engineers still have a lot of work to do to make the technology practical and inexpensive.

Batteries are the biggest challenge. In the plug-in-hybrid world, lithium-ion(锂离子)(Li-ion)batteries are getting the most attention. These batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small package, and they last a relatively long time between charges. Li-ion batteries are standard in laptops, cellphones, heart devices and other similar portable(便携的)devices.

But because cars are so big and heavy, it would still require a suitcase-sized Li-ion battery to power about 12km of driving. What's more, the batteries are extremely expensive.

"A car filled with batteries could go a long distance," says Ted Bohn, an electrical engineer in Chicago. "But it couldn't haul(拖拉)any people, and it would cost $100,000. "

So researchers need to figure out how to make batteries smaller and cheaper, among other questions.

"The answers don't exist yet," Bohn says. "As a kid I thought someone someplace knows the answer to everything. All of these questions haven't been decided. That's what engineering is about ? making a guess, running tests and fine-tuning(微调)results. "