1、We all believe that modern technology can make life better because it makes everything faster. But by _11() everything up， we suffer losses we have not yet learnt to know. Our day begins with speedy urges: the alarm rings and you jump _12()bed. You take a quick shower. Then you wake the kids and <13()them through breakfast so they won＇t miss the bus. At the dining table， you swallow some slices of bread with a cup of tea. When everything()14()，you hurry to the car， thinking of the things you would buy from the supermarket on the way15(). Driving 20 minutes in the busy traffic，you reach your workplace， rushing into the building and _16() up the stairs three at a time， arriving at your desk with seconds to spare. You take_17()deep breaths. Then， you instantly remember that the ()18()you didn＇t finish last night must be faxed to Beijing by l0＇clock in the morning. Yet it seems that the _19() we go， the further we fall behind. Not only in the literal sense of not getting done what we set out to do， _20()_ at a deeper level. It has come to the point where my days feel like an Olympic marathon.14.( )

1、In China it is relatively usual to ask people their age， but in the West this question is generally regarded as impolite. This is particularly true _11()women， and even more so if the inquirer is a man. However， it is very _12()to ask children their age， and some adults may not mind being asked either. In fact， some elderly people are quite happy to _13()their age， especially if they feel they look young for their age. Nevertheless， it is not very wise to ask a direct question like “How old are you?”.If elderly people want to talk about their age， they may easily14()_the topic themselves， and ask the other person to guess how old they are . They normally expect to be complimented on their youthfulness， though rather than()15() that they look very old. Even tbough Westerners do not usually ask people directly how old they are， this does not _16() that they are not interested to know how old other people are. They may ask _17()for the information， or else they may try to 18() the topic indirectly. Sometimes discussions about educational_19()and the number of years of working experience may provide some clues， but this is not always the 20().13. ( )

A. reveal

B. reflect

C. release

D. remark

28.She simply () that the check was good and did not ask him any question about it.( )

A. took it easy

B. took it for granted

C. took it up with

D. took advantage of

43.What do you ()to do about the problem now that this solution has failed.

A. attempt

B. think

C. pretend

D. intend

5.The teacher asked each of us ()what he had been doing. ( )

A. in time

B. in part

C. in trouble

D. in turn

11.These features are () of what we may call educated informal English.

A. trivial

B. tremendous

C. typical

D. traditional

3、Believe it or not， optical illusion(错觉)can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes， called chevrons (人字形)， painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are， and thus drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan＇s success. Starting next year， the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents， according to the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed - related hazards are the greatest - curves， exit slopes， traffic circles， and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight， horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However， traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons， scientists say， not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower.The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.5.What does the author say about straight， horizontal bars painted across roads?( )

A. They are falling out of use in the United States.

B. They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.

C. They are applicable only on broad roads.

D. They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.

46.The rope ()( )when I pulled on it.

A. was tightened

B. tightened

C. tightening

D. was tighten

2.Color-blind people often find it difficult to () between blue and green. ( )

A. separate

B. compare

C. contrast

D. distinquish

1、In China it is relatively usual to ask people their age， but in the West this question is generally regarded as impolite. This is particularly true _11()women， and even more so if the inquirer is a man. However， it is very _12()to ask children their age， and some adults may not mind being asked either. In fact， some elderly people are quite happy to _13()their age， especially if they feel they look young for their age. Nevertheless， it is not very wise to ask a direct question like “How old are you?”.If elderly people want to talk about their age， they may easily14()_the topic themselves， and ask the other person to guess how old they are . They normally expect to be complimented on their youthfulness， though rather than 15() that they look very old. Even tbough Westerners do not usually ask people directly how old they are， this does not _16() that they are not interested to know how old other people are. They may ask _17()for the information， or else they may try to 18() the topic indirectly. Sometimes discussions about educational_19()and the number of years of working experience may provide some clues， but this is not always the 20().15.( )

A. being told

B. to be told

C. to tell

D. told

20.It＇s()( )for people under 17 to drive a car in Britain.

A. legally

B. illegal

C. illegally

D. be legal