5. Passage EighteenAn idea that started in Seattle’s public library has spread throughout America and beyond.The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求)to be enjoyed by all， the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus， as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools.The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched the “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” project in 1998.Her original program used author visits， study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book， but the idea has expanded to many other American cities， and even to Hong Kong.In Chicago， the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the “One Book， One Chicago” program.As a result， reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city.Across the US， stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about the plot and character.The only problem arose in New York， where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population.This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns， where a greater sense of unity can be achieved.Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point， putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than into discussion about a book itself.Ultimately， as Nancy points out， the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book， but by how many people are enriched by the process， or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have (shared a word).According to Nancy， the degree of success of the project is judged by ().

16.We take our skin for granted until it is burned ()repair.

A. 　beyond

B. 　for

C. 　without

D. 　under

3、Now we know that all this is caused by the movement of the earth around the sun.As the earth journeys around the sun， it spins on its own axis.This can be illustrated (解释，说明)by a simple experiment.If you push a sharp stick(尖头棒)through a rubber ball and twirl(使旋转)it with two fingers， the ball spins around in much the same way the earth is spinning at this moment.The points where the stick comes through the ball correspond to(等同于)the North and South Poles.If you twirl this ball at night directly in front of a bright light， you will notice that half of the ball is lighted up while the other half is in the shade(阴暗处).That is just like our night and day.If you keep the stick strictly vertical(垂直的)to the light and twirl it at an even speed， any spot on the ball’s surface will be in the light and in the shade the same length of time.

5.Between 1974 and 1997， the number of overseas visitors expanded ()27%.

A. 　by

B. 　for

C. 　to

D. 　in

14.When people become unemployed， it is ()which is often worse than lack of wages.

A. 　laziness

B. 　poverty

C. 　idleness

D. 　inability

36. Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Recognizing when a friend or colleague feels sad， angry or surprised is key to getting along with others.But a new study suggests that being sensitive to people’s feelings may sometimes come with an extra dose of stress.This and other research challenge the prevailing view that emotional intelligence is uniformly beneficial to its bearer.In a study， Psychologist Myriam Bechtoldt of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany asked 166 male university students a series of question to measure their emotional intelligence.For example， they showed the students photographs of people’s faces and ask them to what extent feelings such as happiness or disgust were being expressed.The students then had to give job talks in front of judges who displayed serious facial expressions.The scientists measured concentrations of stress hormones in the students’ saliva (唾液)before and after the talk.In students who were rated more emotionally intelligent， the stress measures increased more during the experiment and took longer to go back to baseline.The findings suggest that some people may be too emotionally clever for their own good， says Bechtoldt.“Sometimes you can be so good at something that it causes trouble，” she notes.Indeed， the study adds to previous research hinting at a dark side of emotional intelligence.A study published in 2002 in Personality and Individual Differences suggested that emotionally perceptive people might be particularly influenced by feelings of depression and hopelessness.Furthermore， several studies have implied that emotional intelligence can be used to manipulate others for personal gains.
More research is needed to see how exactly the relation between emotional intelligence and stress would play out in women and in people of different ages and education levels.Nevertheless， emotional intelligence is a useful skill to have， as long as you learn to also properly cope with emotions—both others’ and your own， says Bechtoldt.For example， some sensitive individuals may assume responsibility for other people’s sadness or anger， which ultimately stresses them out.Remember， as Bechtoldt says， “you are not responsible for how other people feel.”What is the finding of the new study?

A. 　Emotional intelligence helps people get along with others.

B. 　Emotional intelligence is generally beneficial to its bearer.

C. 　People who are aware of others＇ feelings may experience more stress.

D. 　People who are emotionally stressed may have trouble making friends.

6.In no country ()Britain， it has been said， can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day.

A. 　other than

B. 　more than

C. 　better than

D. 　rather than

1. Passage Twenty-SixToday just as technology changed the face of industry， farmers have undergone an “agricultural revolution”.On the farm of today， machines provide all the power.One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer.A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently.The computers help them keep more accurate records， so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant， how much livestock to buy， when to sell their products， and how much profit they can expect.Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers.Programs are being written for hog (猪)producers， grain farmers， potato farmers， and dairy farmers.In the future， farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs.Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm， students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses.There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future.While the old-time farm depended on horse power， and modern farms depend on machine power， farms of the future will depend on computer power.Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot， a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and， in some ways， think like a human being.Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century.Unlike farmers of the present， farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them.Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear (修剪)sheep， drive tractors， and harvest fruit.Even complex jobs will be done by robots.For example， in order to milk their cows， farmers must first drive them into the special barn (畜棚)， then connect them to the milking machines， watch the machines， and disconnect them when they are finished.In the future， this will all be done by robots.In addition， when the milking is completed， the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure.The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future， but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.Which sentence is the main idea of the whole passage?

15.Corn originated in the New World and thus was not known in Europe until Columbus found it ()in Cuba.

A. 　being cultivated

B. 　been cultivated

C. 　having cultivated

D. 　cultivating

37. Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom.However， a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible.In reality， education does an aging brain good.Throughout life， people’s brains constantly renovate themselves.In the late 1960s， British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections.This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.Of course， that doesn’t mean the brain isn’t affected by the effects of time.Just as height usually declines over the years， so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent every decade starting in their 40s.But that reduction doesn’t necessarily make people think slower; as long as we are alive and functioning， we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact， scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences， facts， and skills can keep people’s minds more flexible.New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure， even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability.Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower.Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease.Openness—a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge—may also help folks pass brain tests.Some folks are born with this take-in-the world attitude， but those who aren’t as genetically gifted aren’t necessarily out of luck.While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things， a 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences， which can， in turn， refresh the brain.That’s why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says “It’s not that old dogs can’t learn new tricks.It’s that maybe old dogs don’t realize why they should.”What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman’s finding?

A. 　Brain damage seriously hinders one’s learning.

B. 　Brain power weakens slower than we imagine.

C. 　Brains can refresh and improve with learning.

D. 　Brains forge connections under new conditions.

45.In general， you cannot avoid making mistakes when you learn a new language.