C. cause the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly D. compete with “ABC” key arrangement
39. It is inferred that the QWERTY arrangement of the keyboard______. A. is the most scientific arrangement B. adds speed and efficiency of typists C. is easy for typists to memorize D. keeps the typist from typing too fast
40. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? A. The Story of Christopher Latham Sholes B. How to Invent the Typewriter C. The First Practical Typewriter
D. The Arrangement of the Letters on Keyboard B
Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession(经济衰退).
“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, unreliable concepts that are rarely thought through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?
Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.
The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle(涓涓细流) of bio-fuel(生物燃料) available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.
Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to tolerate the environmental impacts of domestic(国内的) energy production in order to cut back imports?
Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.
There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices. At the same time, we get massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.
41. What does the author say about energy independence for America? A. It sounds very attractive. B. It will bring oil prices down. C. It ensures national security. D. It has long been everyone’s dream. 42. What does the author think of bio-fuels?
A. They keep America’s economy running healthily. B. They cause serious damage to the environment. C. They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum. D. They do not provide a sustainable energy supply. 43. Why does America rely heavily on oil imports? A. It wants to expand its storage of raw oil. B. Its own oil reserves are quickly running out. C. Its own oil production falls short of demand. D. It wants to keep its own environment untouched. 44. What does the author say about oil trade? A. It makes for economic recession． B. It brings benefit only to the sellers． C. It improves economic efficiency． D. It saves the cost of oil exploration．
45. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To explain the increase of international oil trade. B. To raise Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis. C. To argue for America’s dependence on oil imports. D. To stress the importance of energy protection. C
When I set out to drop my dad off at the airport, it was dark and dreary(沉闷的). It started to rain on the way. When I left the airport, the visibility wasn’t clear because of the drops of rain. It was before 6 am.
Even though the road conditions were poor, I drove at my normal speed. I was angry with the more cautious drivers ahead of me that were delaying my drive. The exit ramp(坡道) to the highway was a tight spiral (急盘旋). It is a dangerous spot in good weather and totally scary ill when the weather is miserable or it is dark. But I didn’t want to slow down and arrive home any later than necessary. I drove down the ramp too fast. The road was wet and my car slid, landing face down on the passenger side.
I didn’t like to drive by myself at the time and had debated taking my husband and son with me on the trip. Thankfully, I was alone in the car. My accident was slight. In fact, I was lucky enough not to have a single scratch. I shuddered to think the injuries my son would have suffered had he been in the backseat of that car with no seatbelt when it rolled. After the car rolled three times, I found my mobile phone was lost in a pile of small things that were all lying in the bottom of the car. A lady was kind enough to let me borrow her mobile phone, but without the numbers preprogrammed who could I call? I was lucky enough to remember my father’s mobile phone number, and fortunate that he hadn’t yet got on his plane.
You never know when an accident will happen. As a driver, I will keep safety in mind by obeying all traffic laws and have safe-driving habits, especially in bad weather. Insist your children always wear their seatbelts. Life is a journey and everyone should value it and enjoy the ride.
46. Why was the author angry with those drivers? A. She thought they drove too slowly. B. They didn’t pay attention to the safety. C. They made much noise on the ramp.
D. They tried to stop her car on the ramp. 47. The car accident happened . A. at around 6 in the afternoon
B. before the author dropped her dad at the airport C. when the author almost got home
D. immediately after the author left the exit to the airport
48. What does the underlined word “shuddered” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? A. Remembered clearly. B. Trembled because of fear.
C. Ensured the safety. D. Took control of the bad situation.
49.What is the main reason that resulted in the accident？ A. The visibility was not clear. B. The author drove rather fast. C. It started to rain heavily then. D. It was an unsafe spot for driving.
50. We can learn from this passage that the author_____. A. had just a single scratch
B. felt sorry because her son was injured C. called her father for help
D. found her mobile phone with the help of a lady D
Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists.
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper. The Beldon Post:
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors：“Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed.” This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years.
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one： ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel.
Now what do you think of the rest of the “news”? 51. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?
A. Beldon and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer. B. A fire broke out at night in Seabreeze Hotel last summer. C. It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers. D. Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter. 52. Which of the following are probably facts?
a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel. b. A cigarette started the fire. c. An old lamp started the fire. d. The fire broke out at night.
e. There has never been a fire in Canfield. A. b and c B. a and d C. c and e D. a and c
53. The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think .
A. hotels in Beldon often catch fire B. hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire C. this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel