1 . Until 1964 most forms of gambling were illegal in the United States. Since then, however, more and more stales have legalized gambling in order to raise income. The U. S. gambling industry has gone from an attitude of “prohibition” to one of “promotion”, as all but five states have now legalized gambling as a solution to their depressed economies.

Most states in the United States now depend on incomes from state lotteries (博彩) and use them for good causes, such as improving public education, maintaining slate parks, and developing environmental programs.

State governments maintain that the voluntary contribution of funds through state lotteries is preferable to increase state sales or income taxes, and the residents of states using the lottery system tend to support this. The gaming industry has also benefited some of the nation’s poorest citizens: Native Americans. The U. S. government ruled in 1988 that slates could not tax the revenues earned by gambling on Native American reservations. Having taken advantage of this ruling an open cosmos (赌场) on their reservations, many Native Americans moved from a life of poverty to a life of wealth.

Although there are many advantages to legalized gambling, there has also been a good deal of criticism of state-supported gambling. As states increase their support of state lotteries, they seem to encourage commercial gambling in all its forms. About 50 percent of the U. S. population plays the lottery, according to a study by the University of Chicago. This trend has led to an increase in habitual gambling. More than 5 million Americans suffer from gambling addiction. Those most at risk of becoming addicted include the poor, young people between twelve and eighteen years old, and women over the age of fifty, who are looking for some entertainment. As a result, many of them will end up in prison or even homeless. The promise of winning big fortune has created big problems.

Perhaps the most important concern is the moral issue of legalized gambling. The lottery is the only form of gambling that is essentially a government control. Critics ask whether gambling is a proper function of government. Should the government be the spokesman for the expansion of gambling? Critics say state advertising of lotto emphasizes luck over hard work, instant happiness over careful planning and entertainment over savings. The traditional work ethic (道德准则) is being devalued by the pipedream of striking it rich, and this is sending confusing messages to young people.

In 1996, Congress created a commission to conduct a legal study of the social and economic impacts of gambling in the United States. After two years of study, the Commission recommended an end to the expansion of legalized gambling and a ban on Internet gambling. Some feel this will severely hurt the gambling industry. Others fear that it is not enough and are asking the government to take a tough stand against gambling.

1. According to the passage, we know that________.

A．any forms of gambling were banned before 1964 in the USA

B．the economical problems led to the rise of gambling industry in the USA

C．all American stales have legalized gambling since 1964

D．only five states have now legalized gambling because of the depressed economies

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．State lottery system helps to raise money to improve people's public welfare.

B．Gambling industry helps to change the American way of life.

C．Gambling industry helps to improve the life of some poor Native Americans.

D．State lottery system helps to increase state sales or income taxes.

3. What is the author most concerned about?

A．The expanding of the gambling industry.

B．The suffering of the gambling-addicted people.

C．The moral problems brought about by the legalized gambling.

D．The disadvantage of Internet gambling.

4. In Paragraph 5, the word “pipedream” means________.

A．wonderful idea	B．creative idea
C．unworkable plan	D．practical plan

2 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

In Europe, more than half of 100 designers employed in the car-making industry are art graduate. Carmakers such as Audi, Jaguar and Ford all have artists designing new cars for the future. It goes without saying that new models are incorporating the latest technology. However, increasingly the cars of tomorrow are designed with artistic styles. Nowadays, customers demand that their new cars look as up-to-date and fashionable as possible.

Artists are not only designing cars. Increasingly, art students are influencing modern architecture, including the designing of new buildings. Artists are also helping with the restoration of old buildings by using specialized techniques learnt at art school.

Interestingly, artists are also finding ways of making life easier for us. Recently, one young artist has received a design award for a lifting aid. The newly-designed aid is a simple supportive framework that helps people who care for the weak or sick to lift their patients more easily. Another art student has received an award for creating a revolutionary baby feeder. The artist invented a tool that allows parents to feed small children with only one hand.

The marriage between art and business is set to continue. Industry recognizes the importance and value of young artists designing for the future. As one art professor commented, “Today, people understand that problems can be solved using artists’ eyes.”

3 . A New Exhibition Explores the Science and Math in Children’s Book Illustrations

Think back to a favorite picture book, the one where the edges of the cover grew worn and a few pages loosened from the binding after so many readings. Perhaps it was the unfolding story or the vivid illustrations that enthralled a young you.     1    .

“Picture books are some of the first memories I have for looking at and understanding the world around me,” says J.D. Talasek, the director of the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences. But one doesn’t have to be a child to find delight and wonder in images from children’s books. That’s the premise behind a new exhibition, “Igniting the Imagination,” which opened this week at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington D.C.

The exhibition features 29 artworks from the collection of children’s book illustrations at the Mazza Museum, located at the University of Findlay in Ohio.     2    In one, an old gentleman wearing glasses and his companion, a young boy in a red T-shirt, lean to the side as they feel the centrifugal force of a rollercoaster’s curve. The man’s hat floats above and behind him, pushed off by the wind of his motion. In another, sea turtles appear to take off like a flock of sea-green-colored birds from a tower of pink, branching coral.

    3     The oldest is from Project Boy by Lois Lenski, published in 1954, and shows a group of children building a fort out of “junk.” The subjects range from the magic of math to the biology of a decaying log to the engineering of a skyscraper.

“The exhibit is framed through these disciplines, but it uses the power of art to help make broader connections to how inventions, practices and discoveries frame our experiences,” Talasek says.

The museum’s collection was born in 1982, as part of a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Findlay College, the university's predecessor institution. Jerry Mallett, a professor of education at the time, spearheaded the establishment of the children's book illustration collection.     4     The artworks include a diversity of styles and media.

A．What began as four pieces then has grown to more than 10,500 now through donations and acquisitions.

B．Most likely it was the view the book offered into a different world.

C．The illustrations come from books that span the past half-century.

D．In 1938, the American Library Association (ALA) began presenting annually the Caldecott Medal to the most distinguished children’s book illustration published in the year.

E．Each illustration explores the worlds of science, engineering or medicine.

F．Many wonderful free picture books for children are available to read, download, and print.

4 . “Walkability” linked to reduced hospital costs and admissions

​Neighborhoods designed to encourage people to walk to and from the shops and public transport will help reduce hospital costs and admissions linked to residents, new Canberra research shows.

The research project, from the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute, has revealed a relationship between a suburb’s “walkability score” and a reduction in both hospital costs and admissions and added to the growing debate surrounding the role of “social determinants” in health outcomes.

Coauthors Dr. Yan Yu and Vincent Learnihan studied ACT Health data from 30,690 hospital admissions across 88 of the ACT’s suburbs, and then matched them against each suburb’s “walkability score”. That score is a measure of how easy it is to get around a particular suburb, including the number of interconnected streets, footpaths and the presence of shops, public transport stops, restaurants and services within walking distance of each other.

Dr. Yu said the study showed that those suburbs rated as “walkable”—with a walkability score of 20 units or more—were linked to a 12.1 per cent lower hospital cost for those residents and a 12.5 per cent lower rate of hospital admissions.

She said the admissions data they focused on included cancers, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases and diabetes.

But the research also showed that in Canberra, some 80 per cent of all the city’s suburbs were still “car-dependent”, which Mr. Learnihan said showed more needed to be done to help encourage Canberrans to walk, ride and use public transport.

While Mr. Learnihan commended the ACT government’s existing “active travel” programs, he said the study showed that wider and better funded initiatives to improve the “walkability” of new and existing suburbs could help save on health costs and improve Canberrans’ quality of life.

Dr. Yu said such changes could be as simple as improving footpaths and bike paths, increasing public transport access and improving local shops.

1. The suburb’s “walkability score” depends on the following factors within the walking distance of each other EXCEPT ______.

A．the presence of shops	B．the presence of taxi stands
C．the number of interconnected streets	D．the number of interconnected footpaths

2. The underlined word “commended” in Paragraph 7 probably means ______.

A．praised	B．abandoned
C．transformed	D．conducted

3. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．the suburb with a walkability score of 12.5 units can be rated as “walkable”

B．a majority of Canberrans walk, ride and use public transport to and from work

C．admissions data researchers focused on included different kinds of disease

D．footpaths and bike paths in the suburbs of Canberra are far from satisfactory

4. What will probably happen in the future？

A．There will be fewer cars in Canberra.

B．Canberrans will have easier access to public hospitals.

C．The word “walkability” will be included in the authoritative dictionary.

D．“Walkability” of new and existing suburbs in Canberra will be improved.

5 .    

About Old Faithful —The Most Famous Geyser (间歇性喷泉) in the World Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent eruptions (喷发) — which number more than a million since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. When does Old Faithful erupt? Basic prediction of Old Faithful is dependent upon the duration of the previous eruption. During visitor center hours, geyser statistics and predictions are maintained by the naturalist staff. People speak of the average time between eruptions. This is misleading. The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn’t like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes. Visitors can check for posted prediction times in most buildings in the Old Faithful area. How high does Old Faithful erupt and how long will it last? Old Faithful can vary in height from 100–180 feet with an average near 130–140 feet. This has been the historical range of its recorded height. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes. I heard Old Faithful isn’t as faithful as it used to be. Is it slowing down? It depends on what you call faithful. The famous geyser currently erupts around 20 times a day and can be predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate within a 10 minute variation. Prior to the 1959 earthquake, Old Faithful erupted 21 times per day. That’s a significant decrease in activity for geologists tracking each eruption, but to visitors seeing one or two eruptions…it looks just fine. How many gallons of water are expelled during an eruption? It depends on the duration of the eruption. Scientists estimate that the amount ranges from 3,700 gallons (for a short duration of 1.5 minutes) to 8,400 gallons (for a longer duration of 4.5 minutes). How hot is the water in Old Faithful? During an eruption, the water temperature at the vent has been measured at 204°F (95.6°C). The steam temperature has been measured above 350°F!

1. You and your friend just watched the eruption of Old Faithful at 12:26 p.m., at what time is it possible for you to enjoy the next one?

A．13:06

B．14:06

C．15:06

D．16:06

2. Which one of the following statement about Old Faithful is true?

A．The geyser’s name indicates that it always erupts regularly, 20 times a day, once every 74 minutes.

B．When it is erupting, people should keep a safe distance due to its freezing coldness.

C．Old Faithful is a well-known geyser which can expel at least 3700 gallons water each time.

D．To check the eruption time, visitors may refer to predictions on the posted timetables.

3. Where does the article most probably appear?

A．The Yellowstone official website.

B．Local travel pamphlets introducing Yellowstone.

C．A recently-issued guide book on Yellowstone.

D．A travel magazine column about Yellowstone.

6 . How does a word get into a Merriam-Webster dictionary? This is one of the questions editors are frequently asked. The answer is simple: usage.

Each day most Merriam-Webster editors devote an hour or two to reading a wide collection of_________ material, including books, newspapers, magazines and electronic publications. In our office this activity is called “reading and marking.” The editors read the texts _________ new words, new usages of existing words, different spellings, and inflected forms—_________, anything that might help in deciding if a word belongs in the dictionary, understanding what it means, and _________ typical usage. Any word of interest is marked, _________ surrounding context that offers insight into its form and use.

The marked passages are then input into a computer system and stored both in machine-readable form and on 3"×5" slips of paper to create citations. Each citation has the following elements: the word itself, an example of the word used in context, and bibliographic information about the _________ from which the word and example were taken.

Merriam-Webster’s citation files, which can be _________ the 1880s, now contain 15.7 million examples of words used in context and cover all aspects of the English vocabulary. Citations are also available to editors in a searchable text database — what _________ call a corpus — that includes more than 70 million words drawn from a great variety of sources.

Before a new word can be added to the dictionary, it must have enough citations to show that it is _________ used. But having a lot of citations is not enough. A word may be __________ for entry into a general dictionary if all of its citations come from a single source or if they are all from highly specialized publications that __________ the jargon of experts within a single field.

The number and range of citations needed for a word’s __________ in the dictionary vary. In __________ cases, a word jumps onto the scene and is both instantly popular and likely to last, as was the __________ in the 1980s with AIDS. In such a situation, the editors determine that the word has become firmly established in a relatively short time and should be entered in the dictionary, __________ its citations may not span the wide range of years exhibited by other words.

1.

A．published

B．digitized

C．related

D．selected

2.

A．in line of

B．in terms of

C．in search of

D．in view of

3.

A．in short

B．but for

C．in addition

D．for instance

4.

A．locating

B．applying

C．entering

D．determining

5.

A．according to

B．along with

C．except for

D．based on

6.

A．Origin

B．basis

C．resource

D．source

7.

A．traced back to

B．originated from

C．begun with

D．introduced in

8.

A．dialectics

B．linguistics

C．gymnastics

D．statistics

9.

A．widely

B．frequently

C．often

D．greatly

10.

A．accepted

B．received

C．rejected

D．neglected

11.

A．reform

B．inform

C．reflect

D．inflect

12.

A．recognition

B．composition

C．revision

D．inclusion

13.

A．common

B．popular

C．rare

D．major

14.

A．time

B．matter

C．case

D．type

15.

A．even though

B．as though

C．so that

D．in case

7 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Loving Legacy

Magic wands, flying broomsticks, terrifying monsters... these are the features of the fantasy genre. And over the last few decades, Harry Potter has remained at the top of the list for     1     looking to journey into a magical world. Where many authors have tried, J. K. Rowling—with the help of numerous fans—has succeeded in bringing her characters to life     2     books, movies, theaters, theme parks and so much more.

Harry Potter might have started off as     3     book meant for young children to read and perhaps forget a few years down the line. Few expected that the young boy with messy jet-black hair, green eyes and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead     4     (manage) to take us all along on an unforgettable journey. Critics of the series claim that certain characters do not have enough depth, or the writing cannot compare with the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, they     5     hardly deny the massive impact of Harry Potter on the literary world.

I grew up reading Harry Potter. Like millions of other children, I waited on my eleventh birthday for an owl carrying a letter to inform me that I     6     (accept) into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For the younger me, the wizarding world was so fantastic and attractive that I always wanted more. As a new book was only released every year or two, I had plenty of time     7     (explore) other worlds of fantasy. And I loved every moment of it.     8     I have not picked up a Harry Potter book in about a decade, I still make a beeline for (直奔) the fantasy section each time I am in a bookstore. Most importantly, I came to love the simple act of reading.

Some may think that fantasy or science fiction has no place in literature, as they corrupt the mind and provide no useful lessons. These people are wrong. Characters in popular fantasy or science fiction novels are not much different from those in classic literature novels. Each embodies the emotion, character and thought     9     the author is trying to convey. So,     10     unrealistic the plot may seem, good novels teach, and keen readers learn.

8 . Beyond the Terracotta Army

ON MY FIRST TRIP to Xi’an in 2002, I came to see what everyone comes here to see: the Terracotta Army. But like many group tours to China, the trip had an itinerary (行程) that was perfunctory — a checklist of must-sees that frequently left me wondering whether there was more to see. With this goal, I flew to China again in November.

The weather was mild when I arrived, ideal for surveying Xi’an from the beautifully restored City Wall. I rented a bike and spent more than an hour covering the nearly flat nine-mile circle, eye-to-eye with rooftops on one side and modern towers on the other.

I spent the late afternoon riding the city’s modern subway to other sites: the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. A block away, the Drum Tower is a kind of gateway to the Muslim Quarter. This marketplace is lined with restaurants and vendors selling mouthwatering snacks — skewers (串) of lamb cooked over coals, chewy persimmon (柿子) doughnuts, and roujiamo.

The next morning, a local driver picked me up and took me to Hua Shan, about 120 kilometers east of Xi’an. I checked the trail map I had just picked up at a gift shop, looking for the Plank Walk (长空栈道), my hoped-for destination. By the time we reached a cable car station for the ride to the top, the rocky walls surrounding the building were displaying a dusting of snow, Hua Shan’s first of the season.

I learned about the Plank Walk on my previous visit. Tourists climbed along the cliffs, tightly holding onto heavy metal chains that lined the riskier sections.

I didn’t have time on my previous trip. On this visit, the long West Peak cable car route rose into morning clouds, down into a valley and back up, eventually arriving at a station covered in snow and ice. Lacking gloves, the hat or the scarf, I made my way into a frozen wonderland.

I covered a good bit of Hua Shan’s trails this time, ascending three of the five peaks. But when I arrived at the Plank Walk, it was closed for the day. Still, the long day here was rewarding, with smiling faces spotted everywhere of people happy to be exploring China’s magnificent scenery on a more micro level.

And the Plank Walk? It just might be reason enough to return again.

1. The underlined word “perfunctory” in the first paragraph could probably be replaced by “________”.

A．hurried	B．particular
C．selective	D．unique

2. We can learn from the article that the tourist attractions the author visited during his second trip to Xi’an included ________.
① the Terracotta Army
② the City Wall
③ the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower
④ the Muslim Quarter
⑤ Hua Shan

A．①②③④⑤

B．②③④⑤

C．①②③⑤

D．①③④⑤

3. According to the article, why did the author return to Xi’an?

A．To revisit the Terracotta Army.	B．To further explore the city of Xi’an.
C．To cover a famous hiking trail.	D．To have a taste of the local snacks.

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

A．The Plank Walk is open to visitors every day.

B．When the writer visited Xi’an, it happened to be snowing heavily there.

C．If a visitor wants to have snacks, he has only one choice — the Muslim Quarter.

D．You can enjoy historic sites and natural scenery in Xi’an as well as its modernity.

9 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. economical	B. explore	C. experience	D. formal	E. former	F. found
G. opportunity	H. replaced	I. respect	J. share	K. spread

The idea of the youth hostel started with one man: Richard Schirrmann (1874~1961), a German school teacher, who felt that there was a need for overnight accommodation (住宿) for his students in order that they could     1     new things and have new experiences outside the classroom.

He felt that one learns by observing, and tried to make his dream come true in the year 1909, when he started providing accommodation for his students in inns, farmhouses and the like.

The first youth hostel was opened in Schirrmann’s own school in Altena, after which it was     2     by a permanent hostel in Altena Castle. Schirrmann went on to     3     the German Youth Hostel Association in the year 1919. By this time, the idea of the youth hostel had     4     far and wide, all over the lands of Europe and further.

And then, in the year 1932, a(n)     5     organization called the International Youth Hostel was founded in Amsterdam, which was made up of youth hostels from Switzerland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Britain, Ireland, France, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Belgium. Richard Schirrmann became its chairman in 1933.

The idea of the youth hostel is for young people who are on nature trips to get     6     accommodation in exchange for some money and a helping hand with domestic chores (家务活). These hostels were said to build character and a sense of independence, as the youth who stayed in them got the     7     to see how other people lived as well as to help to do work.

Youth hostels are also places to meet and make new friends. They have no class divisions and everyone has to do their     8    . Here, wealth and position does not help you gain     9    , but friendliness does. The friendlier you are, the more you learn from the     10     of staying in a youth hostel.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.

A．It comes from the heart.	B．It’s something you have to think about.
C．It never gets boring.	D．It’s not a feeling or an emotion.

2.

A．She had long black hair.	B．She wore leather clothes.
C．She never wore pants.	D．She wore blue jeans.

3.

A．Up Your Alley.	B．The Blackhearts.
C．Gary Glitter	D．Sly and the Family Stone.

4.

A．She didn’t actually have much influence.	B．People still don’ understand her.
C．She still wants to perform.	D．She is a star on the stage.