and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.
Surprisingly, the little boy cried, \you God for giving me enough money!\Then he looked at me and added, \asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that Mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose! \
Then I remembered two days before a local newspaper reported an accident in which a woman and a little girl were badly injured. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after I met the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away. I couldn't stop myself from going to the funeral. Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever.
56. The boy wanted to buy the doll because . A. he had always been eager for such a doll
B. Santa Claus didn't give him any Christmas gift C. he would give it to his mother as a birthday surprise D. he wanted to turn his sister's Christmas wish into reality 57. We can learn from the story that .
A. the boy's sister died after staying in hospital for two weeks B. the boy's family were all seriously injured in a car accident C. the author gave the boy some extra money without his notice D. the boy's mother always wished to receive a white rose on Christmas 58. The story most probably conveys the message that . A. a kind act can bring joy and hope to others B. a gift is a perfect way to express love for others C. losing a family member is a heavy blow to children D. a religious belief can help one solve problems in his life
B
\
A recent New York Times \a glass house. Every wall in his home is transparent; he has no walls to hide behind, not even in the bathroom. Of course, he lives in a remote area where he doesn't exactly have neighbors looking in and watching his every move. But he has chosen to live without any physical privacy in a home that allows every action to be seen. He has created his own panopticon of sorts.
The term panopticon was coined by Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century when he was describing an idea for how prisons should be designed. The prisoners' cells would be placed in a circle with a guard tower in the middle. All walls facing the center of the circle would be glass. In that way, every prisoner's cell would be in full view of the guards. The prisoners could do
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nothing unobserved, but the prisoners would not be able to see the guard tower. They would know they were being watched - or rather, they would know that they could be being watched－but because they could not see the observer, they would never know when the guard was actually monitoring their actions.
Similarly, it is common that people behave differently when they know they are being watched. We act differently when we know someone is looking; we act differently when we think someone else might be looking. In these situations, we are less likely to be ourselves; instead, we will act the way we think we should act when we are being observed by others.
In our wired society, many talk of the panopticon as a metaphor （隐喻） for the future. But in many ways, the panopticon is already here. Monitoring cameras are everywhere, and we often don't even know our actions are being recorded. In addition, we leave a record of everything we do online. And most of us have no idea just how much information about us has been recorded and how much data is available to various sources. We can do little to stop the information gathering and exchange and can only hope to be able to control the damage if something goes wrong. 59. According to the passage, a panopticon is . A. a prison cell
B. a house that is transparent C. a tower that provides a broad view
D. a place where everything can be seen by others 60. From Paragraph 3, we learn that panopticon .
A. is not applicable outside the prison B. is used everywhere in public places C. is an effective tool to control prisoners D. is an effective tool to share information
61. Why does the author say that panopticon is already here? A. Because our privacy is completely transparent.
B. Because we are all prisoners m our own homes.
C. Because our actions are observed and recorded in many cases. D. Because we are always afraid that someone might be watching us.
62. A key difference between prison panopticon and panopticon in our daily life is that . A. prisoners can see their observers, but we can't
B. prisoners know that they may be being watched, but we often don't C. prisoners are more protected in their panopticon than we are in ours D. prisoners are less observed about privacy issues than technology users
C
I want to talk about the economy. Not \in the news each day and in politicians' speeches. I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day.
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Most people aren't particularly interested in \economy\\prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring; the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472. 35. \hear this and subconsciously switch off.
Notice that \suits play with to make vast personal wealth. The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life.
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society. So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives. Our towns become more and more crowded. We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals. There's something wrong here. If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future. Yet the majority of us are deeply worried. More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations.
The term \spending more money. More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better. We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution. More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption. Unless money keeps circulating, the economy breaks down. If we don't keep consuming, the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）.
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of
the results of our actions. We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world. We create mountains of waste. We demand cheap food, mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land.
The consumption culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior. Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it. It is gathering the desire to do it. 63. According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy? A. The Dow Jones Index. B. Increases in interest rates. C. Skyrocketing share prices. D. Shopping in a supermarket.
64. It can be concluded from Paragraph 4 that . A. people are benefiting from a well-off society B. the future generation is a big concern for most people C. the majority of people are optimistic about the future D. people still feel much pressure despite labor-saving devices 65. What is true about economic expansion? A. It guarantees a better life for us. B. It may lead to some social problems.
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C. It will stop the circulation of money. D. It has only brought desirable effects.
66. The author writes the passage mainly to . A. call on us to change our behavior
B. suggest a solution for over-consumption C. make a distinction between two economies D. inform us of the effects of economic expansion
D
You Are What You Eat
Genetic（基因的）engineering is the scientific change of the genetic material in a living organism. It allows scientists to identify specific genes, to remove them from an organism's chromosomes （染色体）, improve them, analyze them, and possibly clone them, and to then reinsert the changed gene into the original organism, or a completely different organism. Unlike traditional breeding （繁殖）, where a desired quality would be bred within the same species, genetic engineering can insert desired ones into organisms of different species. Wow…Did you catch that?
Genetic engineering creates many positive contributions to agriculture. For example, by genetically engineered（GE）foods, anti-cancer agents, minerals and vitamins can be increased. Improved taste, shelf life, and better transport are all possible. Also, GE plants can increase pest and bacterial resistance, therefore, making the food safe for consumers.
But some argue that the possible negative effects outweigh the positives, and critics are starting to voice their concerns. Unlike Europe, in the United States labeling is not required on genetically engineered foods or on foods that contain genetically engineered products. Most Americans do not realize that they are, in fact, eating GE foods.
The public is also concerned about the unknown health risks. With limited understanding of genes, scientists cannot predict possible effects. Because most genes introduced into GE plants come from sources not introduced into the human body, it is impossible to know if they will cause reactions. Moreover, due to the lack of labeling, if allergies develop, it will be extremely difficult to find the origin of them.
There is also a major moral question in many minds. For many, the conflict is not if it is safe or not, but it disturbs them because it is unnatural and unnecessary. We are currently producing one and a half times the amount of food needed to feed the world, yet one in seven people are starving. GE food is unnecessary, and fails to address the root of hunger. Many believe that the only people who will benefit are the corporations that produce it.
Scientists cannot foresee the possible effects of GE foods, yet we eat them every day without even knowing it. We already have enough food, so why create more that could be potentially harmful to us, to the Earth and to all wildlife? I think that the benefits are amazing, but until we
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know for sure how these foods will affect us, they are not worth the risk.
67. According to the passage, traditional breeding is different from genetic engineering in that .
A. traditional breeding changes the genes in the same species B. traditional breeding changes the genes in different species C. traditional breeding takes place within the same species D. traditional breeding is more scientific
68. \ in Paragraph 4 indicates . A. information concerning gene sources is unavailable to customers B. it is currently possible to find the origins of some allergies C. scientists try to hide potential dangers from customers D. the US government is responsible for GE food
69. According to Paragraph 5, GE food is unnecessary because . A. it won't help solve the problem of hunger in the world B. there are potential dangers in producing GE food C. we're now producing more food than before D. customers will benefit from GE food
70. What is the author's attitude towards genetic engineering? A. Welcoming.
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Swapping Houses for Vacation
When budgeting for a vacation, usually the most expensive part of the trip is the accommodations. The traditional way to take a vacation is to pack some bags, lock up the house, and travel to a new place to stay in a hotel. However, hotels are very expensive, and with rent or housing loan（贷款）due every month, it's difficult for most people to pay for yet another place to stay. 71 Luckily, there is a substitute called house swapping, and it's saving tourists a great deal of cash.
72 For example, if a couple from New York want to spend a week in Paris, they would place an ad offering to trade their New York apartment for one in Paris for a week. If a Parisian couple that want to vacation in New York read the advertisement, houses can be swapped, and both couples save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars by avoiding big-city hotel fees. If all goes well, both couples can post positive reviews of the other's home online so that potential travelers can see that everything was fine. 73 This builds a community of people who want to help each other out.
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B. Disapproving. C. Unconcerned. D. Optimistic.