I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free. But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed. No problem, I thought: we’ll buy another. But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car－I worked out that, with the loan, we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as £600 a month.

And that’s when I had my fancy idea. Why not just give up having a car at all? I live in London. We have a railway station behind our house, a tube station 10 minutes’ walk away, and a bus stop at the end of the street. A new car club had just opened in our area, and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby. If any family in Britain could live without a car, I reasoned, then surely we were that family.

But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family. My teenage daughters were horrified. What would their friends think about our family being “too poor to afford a car”? (I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.)

My friends, too, were astonished at our plan. What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital? (an ambulance) How would the children get to and from their many events? (buses and trains) People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas, before saying they were sure I’d soon realize that a car was a necessity.

Eight months on, I wonder whether we’ll ever own a car again. The idea that you “have to” own a car, especially if you live in a city, is all in the mind. I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher. We worry about rising car costs, but we’d be better off asking something much more basic: do I really need a car? Certainly the answer is no, and I’m a lot richer because I dared to ask the question.

1. The author decided to live a car-free life partly because ______.

A．most families chose to go car-free

B．he was hurt in a terrible car accident

C．the cost of a new car was too much

D．the traffic jam was unbearable for him

2. What is the attitude of the author’s family toward his plan?

A．Supportive.	B．Disapproving.
C．Optimistic.	D．Unconcerned.

3. What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends’ opinion?

A．Argue against it.	B．Take their advice.
C．Think it over.	D．Leave it alone.

4. What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?

A．Life cannot go without a car.

B．Life without a car is a little bit hard.

C．His life gets improved without a car.

D．A car-free life does not suit everyone.

Street art can be found on buildings, sidewalks, street signs and even trash cans from Tokyo to Paris to New York City. This special kind of art can take the form of paintings, sculptures, cloth or even stickers. It has become part of a global visual culture. Now, even art museums and galleries are collecting the works of street artists.

It is not easy to provide an exact history of the street art movement. This kind of art has developed in many kinds of ways in places all over the world. Also, because it is illegal to paint on public and private property without permission, street artists usually work secretly. This secretive nature of street art and its countless forms make it hard to define exactly. And people have different opinions about the movement. Some think street art is a crime and destroys property. But others see this art as a rich form of non-traditional cultural expression.

Many experts say the movement began in New York City in the 1960s. Young adults would use paint in special cans to spray their “tag” on walls and train cars around the city. This tag was a name they created to identify themselves and their artwork. This colorful style of writing is also called graffiti (涂鸦). It is visually exciting and energetic. Some graffiti paintings were signs marking the territories of city gangs or illegal crime groups.

Graffiti also became a separate movement expressing the street culture of young people living in big cities. Graffiti art represented social and political rebellion (叛逆). This was art that rejected the accepted rules of culture and power. These artists could travel around areas of the city making creative paintings for everyone to see. Sometimes this street art created a conflict between artists and city officials. Graffiti artists created their images and city officials quickly painted over them.

During the 1980s, two New York painters—Keith Haring and Jean Michel began showing their work in art galleries and museums. This is when street art started to become part of the more general popular culture.

5. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．Street art has become popular and is accepted as a kind of culture.

B．Street art is very special compared with other forms of popular art.

C．Many people are beginning to learn street art.

D．Street art is better developed in big cities than in rural areas.

6. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．“TAG” was a word created by people to distinguish street artists and the other artists.

B．There are three reasons explaining why it is hard to define the history of street art.

C．The movement of street art began in the 1980s in New York City.

D．All the people don’t think that the street art is a rich form of cultural expression.

7. The city officials used to get rid of graffiti probably because ________.

A．they caused arguments between people

B．they were ugly in someone’s eyes

C．they were not painted under proper guidance

D．they didn’t express traditional culture

8. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．The Way to Become a Street Artist

B．What Does Graffiti Art Stand For?

C．The History of Street Art Movement

D．The Work of Street Artists

It is amazing to note that the Internet is still such a new device，and yet it is one of the fastest and most powerful media tools. But think about it for a moment. On the Internet, a big online company can be run by only two guys in their garage. So it is only reasonable then, that people shopping online would be a little leery of the security levels.
Internet giants such as Microsoft knew consumer confidence was the key to getting virtual shopping off the ground, and they work hard to make people feel safe to shop online.
Credit card companies, too, quickly saw the potential for online shopping, and have installed things like online shopping insurance for people. If you ever have a problem with your online credit purchases, many credit card companies will happily refund your money and then set their claws on the company that wronged you. Now that’s buying power!
There are other bonuses for online shoppers, of course. No line－ups, for one. No annoying mall shopping carts with broken wheels and kids crying because their parents won’t get them what they want.
When shopping online, consumers can sit down, have a coffee, and wear their slippers, not having to worry about their hair or parking, and just clicking through sale after sale. Comparison shopping couldn’t be any easier. And thanks to courier companies（快递公司）getting in on the act, you never need to wait longer than a day or two to get those all important purchases delivered right to your door.
No wonder so many companies are shaking their heads at traditional advertising and instead looking to the “virtual” world to attract online shoppers.
9. The underlined word leery means _________.

A．distrustful	B．confident
C．hopeful	D．disappointed

10. Consumer confidence in online shopping mainly relies on _________.

A．shopping freedom	B．shopping convenience
C．Internet access	D．Shopping security

11. Which groups of words would the writer use to describe current online shopping?

A．Adventurous, enjoyable, fast, unreal

B．Unsafe, cheap, slow, convenient

C．Safe, convenient, fast, comfortable

D．Reliable, popular, convenient, slow

12. The following companies are thought to have made contributions to the popularity of online shopping EXCEPT ________.

A．Internet companies

B．advertising companies

C．courier companies

D．credit card companies

Dear Ms. Wang,
I am writing to inform you of some arrangements about my composition course and Latin course next year.
I’ve decided to re-establish the 5-paragraph essay as the goal for the composition course. I interviewed some of my former students and they all agreed that being able to write critically and continuouslywas important to them.
So next academic year, Term 1 will be like always: sentences to paragraphing. And Term 2 will work toward the 5-paragraph essay. The final 3 weeks of Term 2 will be reserved tointroduce writing for TOEFL and CEE. By that time, if the students have done their job correctly, then they should be able to write quite well.
As for the Latin course, I will post notices around campus next week so that the students will understand what’s on offer before I actually introduce the course. A number of students already emailed me about the course.
I am sure you don’t understand what a big deal our opening this program at our school is. People around the world are interested in what we plan to do. There are many rewards available to the students who succeed in the course. Please share what I have said with the administration. I want them to understand the importance of this course. The reason I have contacted these colleagues (actually Oxford contacted me) isthatI have confidence in our students and in myself. I know that when those professors meet our students and hear them speaking and reading Latin, they are going to be amazed. It will open all sorts of doors for students that they never even thought of knocking on.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ll see you soon.
Yours,
Edward Johnson
13. According to the letter, what will Edward teach about writing in Term 1?

A．Critical thinking.

B．5-paragraph essay.

C．Sentences to paragraphing.

D．Writing for TOEFL and CEE.

14. We can learn from the letter that Edward’s Latin course______.

A．has aroused students’ interest

B．enjoys a nationwide reputation

C．has won a number of awards

D．benefitsanyone who takes it

15. Why does Edward write this letter?

A．To seek assistance from the administration.

B．To inform the school of his course plans.

C．To show his achievements in Latin.

D．To apply for the teaching position.