1、Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are requested to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Pl

2、ease mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage. （1）Once the world embraced the automobile, the days of depending on horses, bi

3、cycles, ferries, and trains quickly slipped into the past. People were _47_ with the speed of the automobile but they were also enjoying the personal freedom that the automobile gave them. Owning a car gave people the freedom to go anyplace a road _48_. This allowed people to and at their own _49_.

4、This independence gave the car a popular edge over buses and trains. The popularity of the automobile made it the _50_ of the transportation system. The automobile changed our lives when it created a giant industry that offered more and more jobs. The automobile made it possible for people to live i

5、n areas _51_ from their work place. This caused cities to grow and made suburban living more convenient. Of course, with more places to go, more _52_ roads had to be built. The automobile caused a _53_ effect. Jobs increased, industries grew, new industries developed, and cities appeared. Today the

6、automobile industry continues to offer many _54_. Jobs are plentiful in this industry and improvements continue to be made to the automobile with new technologies. We have come a long way from that first _55_ carriage because of the cooperative efforts of many people in the last century. It will be

7、interesting to see what the future holds for the automobile. We have already seen signs of the use of solar energy in this area. As long as man has a brain, the future of the automobile is _56_. A) backbone F) enjoyed K) definiteB) infinite G) horseless L) developedC) further H) developing M) farthe

8、r D) background I) opportunities N) impressedE) led J) snowball O) pace（2） A college education is an investment in the future. But it can be a 47 one. The College Board 48 that the costs at a four-year public college in the United States increased 10% this past school year. That was less than the 13

9、% increase the year before, but still much higher than the inflation 49 Public colleges and universities still cost a lot less than private ones. Financial aid often helps. But financial experts 50 parents to start college savings plans when their child is Still very young. All fifty states and the

10、District of Columbia 51 what are called 5-29 plans. These plans are named after the part of the federal tax law that created them in 1996. States use private investment companies to operate the 52 of the programs. Every state has its own rules 53 5-29 plans. Some of the plans are 54 of state taxes.

11、And all are not required to pay federal taxes. However, the government could start to tax withdrawals in 2011 if Congress does not change the law. 5-29 plans include investment accounts that increase or decrease in value with the investments they contain. Families must decide how 55 they want to put

12、 money into stocks, or other investments. Another kind of 5-29 plan lets parents begin to pay for their childs education in 56 and long before their child starts college. This kind of savings program is called a prepaid tuition plan. The money goes into an account to pay for an education at a public

13、 college or university in the family's home state.A) aggressively F) consumes K) freeB) estimates G) costly L) majorityC) offer H) decline M) advanceD) automatically I) advise N) governingE) rate J) capable O) general（3） There is progress toward a possible treatment for lung diseases such as SAR

14、S (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Researchers have learned more about how the SARS virus works: it 47 with a system in the body that uses enzymes (酶) to control blood pressure and fluid balance. Scientists say the virus 48 to an enzyme known as ACE-two. The virus blocks the enzyme, permitting f

15、luid to enter the lungs.A team from Europe and Asia reported the 49 in Nature Medicine. Doctor Josef Penninger of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in the Austrian Academy of Sciences was the 50 writer of the report. The discovery could lead to a new 51 of treating not just SARS but also othe

16、r diseases that can cause lung failure. These include avian flu (禽流感) and influenza in humans. The first 52 of SARS were discovered in Guangdong province, in southern China, in November of 2002. SARS was not 53 as a worldwide threat until March of 2003. The disease spread to 26 countries, most of th

17、em in the Asia-Pacific area. An estimated 8, 000 people had SARS. More than 770 of them died, or about 10% , a 54 high rate.The World Health Organization warned people not to travel to 55 areas. The 56 hurt international travel and business. The WHO says the disease stopped spreading by July of 2003

18、. As a result of SARS, the health agency got new powers to act before a government officially announces a crisis.A) means F) associates K) optimistically B) alternative G) major L) identifiedC ) attaches H) awful M) interferesD) crisis I) relatively N) distributedE) cases J) findings O) affected （4）

19、 To call something “marginal” means it is not very good. Farmers have their own way to 47 marginal land: It is the last to be planted under good conditions, and has the 48 to be avoided under poor conditions. Low 49 soil is not the only reason land could be considered marginal. It might be in an are

20、a where rainfall is 50 or where a hillside might rise too steeply. There are uses for marginal land, however. Most often it is used as grassland. Grasses provide excellent 51 for grazing (吃草) animals like cattle, sheep and goats. Grass seed can be bought from a foreign supplier or 52 grasses can be

21、used. However, using marginal land for grazing is not a simple issue. There is a 53 of overgrazing. Cattle can damage the crops by eating down to the roots. Also, the weight of the animals crushes the soil and can make it too hard for growing. A(n) 54 way to reduce the harm is to move animals from o

22、ne field to another. This method is known as rotational grazing (循環放牧) which is extremely important for marginal land. Another use for marginal land is for tree crops. Studies have 55 that the white pine and loblolly pine (火炬松) are two kinds of trees that grow well on such land. They grow fast and p

23、rovide good quality wood. Another tree is the poplar (白楊 ), found in many parts of the world. Failure to take the care needed to protect marginal lands can make a bad situation worse. But good planning can 56 a marginal resource into a highly productive one.A) feed F) define K) nativeB) priority G)

24、adequate L) revealedC) transplant H) transform M) prejudiceD) effective I) discouraging N) hazardE) limited J ) quality O) recovered（5） China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are trying hard to learn the Chinese language with an effort to keep their competitive

25、edge. "Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown 47 in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart, vice president at the Asia Society, a US group trying to bridge the 48 between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. China's rapid progress

26、 is driving the interest to 49 the language, experts say. "The Chinese rich cultural traditions and 50 economy mean that it is now essential for all of our students to be better prepared to engage them and seize opportunities together," said Michael Levine, Asia Society' s executive di

27、rector of education. A 2004 College Board survey found that 2,400 high schools-an 51 number-would be interested in 52 the Advanced Placement (AP) courses in Chinese language and culture when the courses become available in 2006. China, the world' s most populous ( 人口稠密的) nation, is 53 to the Uni

28、ted States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor. It has 54 the United States as the world's largest consumer and could become the second largest economy in the world, in the next two to three decades. Even though the US State Department has regarded the Chinese language extremel

29、y important to national prosperity , the" 55 conditions to support recruitment of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is 56 inadequate," an Asia Society study says. A) thriving F) replaced K) gapB) automatically G) pursue L) scarcelyC) dramatically H) reque

30、st M) currentD) important I) incredible N) offeringE) regained J) efficient O) discouragingly（6） Can money buy happiness? Yes, 47 the authors of a new study-but only to a point.Psychology has shown that richer people generally rank the overall quality of their lives more 48 than poorer people do. At

31、 the same time, their actual happiness seems to be 49 less by their ability to buy more than by being able to keep up with those with comparable resources in their own age group. "Our findings point to the possibility that, rather than promoting overall happiness, continued income growth could

32、50 an ongoing consumption race where people have to consume more and more, just to maintain a 51 level of happiness," writes Glenn Firebaugh of Pennsylvania State University. The study was 52 at the American Sociological Association's 100th Annual Meeting. Whether the rich are happier as a

33、whole than their less 53 fellows is becoming an increasingly hot topic for debate. Recent years have 54 many writings on the "science of happiness." Richer people are happier because money can help purchase goods and services and it is the 55 of these materials that increases one's enj

34、oyment of life and one's sense of well-being. Firebaugh and his colleagues measured the age, total family income, and general happiness of 56 aged 20 to 64, generally considered the working lifespan (工作壽命 ) for most Americans. Regardless of such standards as physical health, education, and marit

35、al status (婚姻狀況), people's happiness was affected by what others earned. The higher the income of others in one's age group, the lower one's happiness. A) constant F) consumption K) witnessedB) wealthy G) consequently L) rejectedC) claim H) implement M) individualsD) deny I) automatic N)

36、 favorablyE) motivated J) presented O) challenging（7） Kitchen duties may have traditionally been viewed as womens work, but not at the White House. Until now: Cristeta Comerford has been named executive chef (廚師) . After an_ 47 six-month search, first lady Laura Bush announced Sunday that Comerford

37、was chosen from hundreds of 48 to head the executive kitchen. A naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines, she will be the first woman and first 49 to hold the post. The 42-year-old Comerford has been an assistant chef at the White House for 10 years. She worked under former executive chef Walte

38、r Scheib Ill, who 50 in February. Scheib said Sunday that Comerford was 51 the best assistant he had in his 30-year career and is a wonderful choice to take over. He said she is a great cook with an artistic eye and a calm manner that can 52 the pressure cooker (高壓鍋) in the White House kitchen. Come

39、rford has a bachelors degree in Food Technology from the University of the Philippines. She has worked at Le Ciel in Vienna, Austria and at restaurants in two Washington hotels. While being executive chef at the White House is honorable, the job also can be 53 Comerford will be in charge of everythi

40、ng from state dinners for world leaders to dessert for the commander in chief, his family and guests. The head chef is 54 for designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons (午宴) 55 by the president and first lady. The job pays 56

41、$ 80,000- $ 100,000 a year.A) responsible F) Undoubtedly K) applicantsB) minority G) identical L) exhaustingC) challenge H) handle M) skillfullyD) extensive I) resigned N) regainedE) approximately J) convince O) hosted（8） The more time children spend watching television the poorer they perform acade

42、mically, according to three studies published on Monday. 47 television viewing has been blamed for increasing rates of childhood obesity (肥胖) and for aggressive behavior, while its 48 on schooling have been inconclusive, researchers said. But studies published on the topic in this month' s Archives of Pediatrics (小兒科) & Adolescent Medicine concluded television viewing 49 to have an adverse effect (副作用) on academic pursuits. For 50