第三章 长篇阅读模拟题

Passage One

Words:1,036

Earthquakes

A) An earthquake is one of the most terrifying phenomena that nature can dish up. We generally think of the ground we stand on as“rock-solid”and completely stable. An earthquake can shatter（粉碎）that perception instantly, and often with extreme violence.

B) Up until relatively recently, scientists only had unproven guesses as to what actually caused earthquakes. Even today there is still a certain amount of mystery surrounding them, but scientists have a much clearer understanding. There has been enormous progress in the past century. Scientists have identified the forces that cause earthquakes, and developed technology that can tell us an earthquake's magnitude and origin. The next hurdle is to find a way of predicting earthquakes, so they don't catch people by surprise. In this article, we'll find out what causes earthquakes, and we'll also find out why they can have such a devastating effect on us.

C) An earthquake is a vibration（震动）that travels through the earth's crust. Technically, a large truck that rumbles down the street is causing a mini-earthquake, if you feel your house shaking as it goes by;but we tend to think of earthquakes as events that affect a fairly large area, such as an entire city. All kinds of things can cause earthquakes: volcanic eruptions, meteor（流星）impacts, underground explosions（an underground nuclear test, for example）, collapsing structures（such as a collapsing mine）. But the majority of naturally-occurring earthquakes are caused by movements of the earth's plates.

D) We only hear about earthquakes in the news every once in a while, but they are actually an everyday occurrence on our planet. According to the United States Geological Survey, more than 3 million earthquakes occur every year. That's about 8,000 a day, or one every 11 seconds!The vast majority of these 3 million quakes are extremely weak. The law of probability also causes a good number of stronger quakes to happen in uninhabited places where no one feels them. It is the big quakes that occur in highly populated areas that get our attention.

E) Earthquakes have caused a great deal of property damage over the years, and they have claimed many lives. In the last hundred years alone, there have been more than 1.5 million earthquake-related fatalities. Usually, it's not the shaking ground itself that claims lives;it's the associated destruction of man-made structures and other natural disasters it causes, such as tsunamis, avalanches（雪崩）and landslides.

F) The biggest scientific breakthrough in the history of seismology—the study of earthquakes—came in the middle of the 20th century, with the development of the theory of plate tectonics（筑造学）. Scientists proposed the idea of plate tectonics to explain a number of peculiar phenomena on earth, such as the apparent movement of continents over time, the clustering of volcanic activity in certain areas and the presence of huge ridges at the bottom of the ocean.

G) The basic theory is that the surface layer of the earth—the lithosphere—is comprised of many plates that slide over the lubricating（润滑的）asthenosphere layer. At the boundaries between these huge plates of soil and rock, three different things can happen.

H) Plates can move apart. If two plates are moving apart from each other, hot, molten rock flows up from the layers of mantle below the lithosphere. This magma（岩浆）comes out on the surface（mostly at the bottom of the ocean）, where it is called lava（熔岩）. As the lava cools, it hardens to form new lithosphere material, filling in the gap. This is called a divergent plate boundary.

I) Plates can push together. If the two plates are moving toward each other, one plate typically pushes under the other one. This plate below sinks into the lower mantle layers, where it melts. At some boundaries where two plates meet, neither plate is in a position to push under the other, so they both push against each other to form mountains. The lines where plates push toward each other are called convergent plate boundaries.

J) Plates slide against each other. At other boundaries, plates simply slide by each other—one moves north and one moves south, for example. While the plates don't drift directly into each other at these transform boundaries, they are pushed tightly together. A great deal of tension builds at the boundary.

K) We understand earthquakes a lot better than we did even 50 years ago, but we still can't do much about them. They are caused by fundamental, powerful geological processes that are far beyond our control. These processes are also fairly unpredictable, so it's not possible at this time to tell people exactly when an earthquake is going to occur. The first detected earthquake waves will tell us that more powerful vibrations are on their way, but this only gives us a few minutes'warning, at most.

L) So what can we do about earthquakes? The major advances over the past 50 years have been in preparedness, particularly in the field of construction engineering. In 1973.the Uniform Building Code, an international set of standards for building construction, added specifications to strengthen buildings against the force of earthquake waves. This includes strengthening support material as well as designing buildings so they are flexible enough to absorb vibrations without falling or deteriorating. It's very important to design structures that can undergo this sort of attack, particularly in earthquake-prone areas.

M) Another component of preparedness is educating the public. The United States Geological Survey（USGS）and other government agencies have produced several brochures explaining the processes involved in an earthquake and giving instructions on how to prepare your house for a possible earthquake, as well as what to do when a quake hits.

N) In the future, improvements in prediction and preparedness should further minimize the loss of life and property associated with earthquakes. But it will be a long time, if ever, before we'll be ready for every substantial earthquake that might occur. Just like severe weather and disease, earthquakes are an unavoidable force generated by the powerful natural processes that shape our planet. All we can do is increase our understanding of the phenomenon and develop better ways to deal with it.

1.Earthquake-related fatalities are usually caused by buildings'collapse and other ensuing natural disasters, not by the shaking ground itself.

2.Besides movements of the earth's plates, other forces such as volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts and so on, can also cause earthquakes.

3.Earthquakes actually occur every day;most of them are not big enough to get our attention.

4.People generally think the ground beneath their feet is completely stable, but earthquakes shatter that idea in no time.

5.We cannot prevent earthquakes but we can actively find better ways to face them.

6.Earthquakes are hardly predictable, and people cannot be told when an earthquake is going to occur.

7.Scientists have found out forces that cause earthquakes through years of efforts.

8.Architects now have designed flexible buildings to minimize the damages of earthquakes.

9.Scientists use the theory of plate tectonics to explain the apparent movement of continents over time.

10.The convergent plate boundaries refer to the lines where plates push toward each other.

Passage Two

Words:1,103

How Ozone Pollution Works

A) The weather report on the radio or TV tells you that it is going to be sunny and hot and that an orange ozone alert has been issued. What is ozone? What does an orange alert mean? Why should you be concerned about it? In this article, we will examine what ozone is, how it is produced, what health hazards it poses and what you can do to reduce ozone pollution.

B) Ozone is a molecule of three oxygen atoms bound together（O₃）. It is unstable and highly reactive. Ozone is used as a bleach, a deodorizing agent, and a sterilization agent for air and drinking water. At low concentrations, it is toxic. Ozone is found naturally in small concentrations in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's upper atmosphere. In this upper atmosphere, ozone is made when ultraviolet light from the sun splits an oxygen molecule（O₂）, forming two single oxygen atoms. If a freed atom collides with an oxygen molecule, it becomes ozone. Stratospheric ozone has been called“good”ozone because it protects the Earth's surface from dangerous ultraviolet light.

C) Ozone can also be found in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Tropospheric ozone（often termed“bad”ozone）is man-made, a result of air pollution from internal combustion engines and power plants. Automobile exhaust and industrial emissions release a family of nitrogen oxide gases（NOx）and volatile organic compounds（VOC）, by-products of burning gasoline and coal. NOx and VOC combine chemically with oxygen to form ozone during sunny, high-temperature conditions of late spring, summer and early fall. High levels of ozone are usually formed in the heat of the afternoon and early evening, dissipating during the cooler nights.

D) Although ozone pollution is formed mainly in urban and suburban areas, it ends up in rural areas as well, carried by prevailing winds or resulting from cars and trucks that travel into rural areas. Significant levels of ozone pollution can be detected in rural areas as far as 250 miles downwind from urban industrial zones.

E) You can make ozone test strips to detect and monitor ozone levels in your own backyard or around your school. You will need corn starch, filter paper（coffee filters work well）and potassium iodide（can be ordered from a science education supplier such as Carolina Biological Supply or Fisher Scientific）. Basically, you make a paste from water, corn starch and potassium-iodide, and you paint this paste on strips of filter paper. You then expose the strips to the air for eight hours. Ozone in the air will react with the potassium iodide to change the color of the strip. You will also need to know the relative humidity, which you can get from a newspaper, weather broadcast or home weather station.

F) When you inhale ozone, it travels throughout your respiratory tract. Because ozone is very corrosive, it damages the bronchioles and alveoli in your lungs, air sacs that are important for gas exchange. Repeated exposure to ozone can inflame lung tissues and cause respiratory infections.

G) Ozone exposure can aggravate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, reduce your lung function and capacity for exercise and cause chest pains and coughing. Young children, adults who are active outdoors and people with respiratory diseases are most susceptible to the high levels of ozone encountered during the summer. In addition to effects on humans, the corrosive nature of ozone can damage plants and trees. High levels of ozone can destroy agricultural crops and forest vegetation.

H) To protect yourself from ozone exposure, you should be aware of the Air Quality Index（AQI）in your area every day—you can usually find it in the newspaper or on a morning weather forecast on TV or radio. You should also be familiar with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency（EPA）guide for ozone-alert values.

I) What do the numbers in the AQI mean? The AQI measures concentrations of five air pollutants: ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. The EPA has chosen these pollutants as criteria pollutants, but these are not all of the pollutants in the air. These concentrations are compared to a standard set out in federal law. An index value of 100 means that all of the criteria pollutants are at the maximum level that is considered safe for the majority of the population. To reduce your exposure to ozone, you should avoid exercising during afternoon and early evening hours in the summer.

J) There are several ways you can help to decrease ozone pollution. Limit using your automobile during afternoon and early evening hours in the late spring, summer and early fall. Do not use gasoline-powered lawn equipment during these times. Do not fuel your car during these times. Do not light fires or outdoor grills during these times. Keep the engine of your car or boat tuned. Make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Use environmentally safe paints, cleaning and office products（some of these chemicals are sources of VOC）.

K) Besides personal attempts to reduce ozone pollution, the EPA has initiated more stringent air-quality standards（such as the Clean Air Act and its modifications）to reduce air pollution. Compliance with these standards by industries, manufacturers and state and local governments has significantly reduced the levels of many common air pollutants.

L) With continued conservation and reduction practices, adherence to ozone-pollution warnings, research and government regulation, ozone-pollution levels should continue to fall. Perhaps future generations will not be threatened by this environmental pollutant.

M) The thing that determines whether ozone is good or bad is its location. Ozone is“good”when it is in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is a layer of the atmosphere starting at the level of about 6 miles（about 10 kilometers）above sea level. The stratosphere naturally contains about six parts per million of ozone, and this ozone is very beneficial because it absorbs UV radiation and prevents it from reaching us.

N) Ozone is“bad”when it is at ground level. Ozone is a very reactive gas that is hard on lung tissue. It also damages plants and buildings. Any ozone at ground level is a problem. Unfortunately, chemicals in car exhaust and chemicals produced by some industries react with light to produce lots of ozone at ground level. In cities, the ozone level can rise to a point where it becomes hazardous to our health. That's when you hear about an ozone warning on the news.

1.When ultraviolet rays from the sun separate an oxygen molecule into two single oxygen atoms in the stratosphere, the combination of a single oxygen atom and an oxygen molecule forms ozone.

2.You can make ozone test strips by yourself to find out about ozone levels in your own locale.

3.Long-time exposure to ozone is badly harmful to our respiratory system.

4.Chemicals in industrial waste gas and vehicle exhaust react with light to form lots of ozone at ground level.

5.Internal combustion engines and power plants cause the artificial tropospheric ozone, also known as“bad”ozone.

6.Ozone is very helpful because it absorbs UV radiation and separates us from it.

7.Using gasoline-powered lawn equipment in the late spring, summer and early fall may increase ozone pollution.

8.Ozone pollution occurs in urban and suburban areas as well as in rural areas.

9.In order to decrease ozone pollution, the EPA has set up more rigorous air-quality standards.

10.Pay close attention to the Air Quality Index in your area every day can keep you away from ozone exposure.

Passage Three

Words:1,372

Higher Grades Challenge College Application Process

A) Josh Zalasky should be the kind of college applicant with little to worry about. The high school senior is taking three Advanced Placement courses. Outside the classroom, he's involved in mock trial, two Jewish youth groups and has a job with a restaurant chain. He's a National Merit semifinalist and scored in the top 3 percent of all students who take the ACT.

B) But in the increasingly frenzied world of college admissions, even Zalasky is nervous about his prospects. He doubts he'll get into the University of Wisconsin, a top choice. The reason: his grades. It's not that they're bad. It's that so many of his classmates are so good. Zalasky's GPA is nearly an A minus, and yet he ranks only about in the middle of his senior class of 543 at Edina High School outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. That means he will have to find other ways to stand out.

C) “It's extremely difficult,”he said. “I spent all summer writing my essay. We even hired a private tutor to make sure that essay was the best it can be. But even with that, it's like I'm just kind of leveling the playing field. ”Last year, he even considered transferring out of his highly competitive public school, to some place where his grades would look better.

D) Some call the phenomenon that Zalasky's fighting“grade inflation”—implying the boost is undeserved. Others say students are truly earning their better marks. Regardless, it's a trend that's been building for years and may only be accelerating: many students are getting very good grades. So many, in fact, it is getting harder and harder for colleges to use grades as a measuring stick for applicants.

E) Extra credit for AP courses, parental lobbying and genuine hard work by the most competitive students have combined to shatter any semblance of a Bell curve, one in which A's are reserved only for the very best. For example, of the 47,317 applications the University of California, Los Angeles, received for this fall's freshman class, nearly 23,000 had GPAs of 4.0 or above.

F) That's also making it harder for the most selective colleges—who often call grades the single most important factor in admissions—to join in a growing movement to lessen the influence of standardized tests.

G) “We're seeing 30,40 valedictorians at a high school because they don't want to create these distinctions between students,”said Jess Lord, dean of admission and financial aid at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. “If we don't have enough information, there's a chance we'll become more heavily reliant on test scores, and that's a real negative to me. ”

H) Standardized tests have endured a heap of bad publicity lately, with the SAT raising anger about its expanded length and recent scoring problems. A number of schools have stopped requiring test scores, to much fanfare.

I) But lost in the developments is the fact that none of the most selective colleges have dropped the tests. In fact, a national survey shows overall reliance on test scores is higher in admissions than it was a decade ago. “It's the only thing we have to evaluate students that will help us tell how they compare to each other,”said Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.

J) Grade inflation is hard to measure, and experts'caution numbers are often misleading because standards and scales vary so widely. Different practices of“weighting”GPAs for AP work also play havoc. Still, the trend seems to be showing itself in a variety of ways.

K) The average high school GPA increased from 2.68 to 2.94 between 1990 and 2000.according to a federal study. Almost 23 percent of college freshmen in 2005 reported their average grade in high school was an A or better, according to a national survey by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. In 1975.the percentage was about half that.

L) GPAs reported by students on surveys when they take the SAT and ACT exams have also risen—and faster than their scores on those tests. That suggests their classroom grades aren't rising just because students are getting smarter. Not surprisingly, the test-owners say grade inflation shows why testing should be kept: it gives all students an equal chance to shine.

M) The problems associated with grade inflation aren't limited to elite college applicants. More than 70 percent of schools and districts analyzed by an education audit company called SchoolMatch had average GPAs significantly higher than they should have been based on their standardized test scores—including the school systems in Chicago, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Denver, Colorado, San Bernardino, California, and Columbus, Ohio. That raises concerns about students graduating from those schools unprepared for college. “They get mixed in with students from more rigorous schools and they just get blown away,”said SchoolMatch CEO William Bainbridge.

N) In Georgia, high school grades rose after the state began awarding HOPE scholarships to students with a 3.0 high school GPA. But the scholarship requires students to keep a 3.0 GPA in college, too, and more than half who received the HOPE in the fall of 1998 and entered the University of Georgia system lost eligibility before earning 30 credits. Next year, Georgia is taking a range of steps to tighten eligibility, including calculating GPA itself rather than relying on schools, and no longer giving extra GPA weight to vaguely labeled“honors”classes.

O) Among those who work with students gunning for the more selective colleges, opinions differ as to why there seem to be so many straight-A students. “I think there are more pressures now than there used to be, because 20 or 30 years ago kids with a B plus average got into some of the best colleges in the country,”said William Shain, dean of admissions and financial aid at Bowdoin College in Maine. “It didn't matter if you had a 3.9 instead of a 3.95.I don't know if it matters now either, but people are more likely to think it does. ”

P) Lord, the Haverford dean, sees grade inflation as the outcome of an irrational fear among students to show any slip up—in grades or discipline. In fact, colleges like his are often more interested in students who have overcome failure and challenge than robots who have never been anything less than perfect. “There's a protection and encouragement of self-esteem that I don't agree with, but I think it's a lot of what's going on here,”he said. “And the college admissions process feeds into that. ”

Q) Back in Minnesota, Edina may join a growing number of schools that no longer officially rank students—a move that could help students like Zalasky, who says he was told by Wisconsin his class rank makes him a longshot. “They feel they're being left behind or not getting into the schools that they're applying to because of a particular class rank,”says Edina counselor Bill Hicks. “And there is some validity with respect to some certain schools that use certain formulas. ”

R) But the colleges most popular with Edina students already know how strong the school is: students'median verbal and math SAT scores are 1170 out of 1600.Hicks isn't willing to blame the concentration grades at the top on spineless teachers, or on grade-grubbing by parents and students. Expectations are high, and grades are based on student mastery of the material, not a curve. Wherever teachers place the bar for an A, the students clear it.

S) “Everyone here is like,‘if I can get a 98 why would I get a 93? ’”said Lavanya Srinivasan, who was ranked third in her Edina class last year. Far from being pushovers, she says, Edina teachers are tougher than those in a course she took at Harvard last summer. Zalasky agrees the students work hard for their high grades. “The mentality of this school is, if you're not getting straight A's you're not doing well,”he said. “There's just so much pressure on us day in and day out to get straight A's that everybody does. ”Hicks compares the atmosphere at Edina to the World Series expectations that always surround the superstar lineup of the New York Yankees. “If they don't win it,”he said,“then it's failure. ”

1.Nearly half of the applications that the University of California received this autumn had GPAs of 4.0 or above.

2.It's also harder for the most selective colleges to lessen the effect of standardized tests.

3.More than 30 years ago, about 11.5 percent of college freshmen reported their average grade in high school was an A or better.

4.Because of the negative effects of standardized tests recently, a lot of universities have no longer required test scores.

5.Some think Zalasky's improvement unworthy, while others think his high grades win the praise for him.

6.Because many of his classmates are so outstanding, Zalasky is nervous about his college application.

7.Some colleges would like to admit students who have conquered failure and challenge rather than those who have never been anything less than perfect.

8.In the next year, Georgia is taking a series of measures to tighten qualification, including calculating GPA itself and avoiding paying too much attention to vaguely labeled“honors”classes.

9.In Zalasky's opinion, students are put under great pressure to work hard to get straight A's, or they will be regarded as losers.

10.More and more schools no longer officially rank students by grade, which can help students like Zalasky.

Passage Four

Words:1,062

Sugar—Friend VS Enemy

A) Sugar is everywhere. It's in our drinks, it's in our foods, and it's hidden in places we never would think of. Many would call sugar their friend in time of need, but in fact their so-called“good friend”could turn out to be their worst enemy in disguise. Sugar for many is something they may have been battling with for a long time. Here's a simple three-step process to help you start to win back the battle for your health.

B) The first step is to be aware of what sugar really does to your body. Most people will say they“know”that they shouldn't have sugar, but they really can't help it. To me that is a lack of true awareness of what sugar does to oneself. I don't think many people will say that they want to hurt their body on purpose, but unless they know it's really happening they will continue down that road. Sugar is slower to impact our health, and it's that slow destructive process that is the most dangerous. Unfortunately, most people don't know the damage until it has already been done.

C) Sugar increases fat storing. Possibly the most important hormone in the body is insulin（胰岛素）, when it comes to weight loss and health. Insulin is the main hormone that we have full control over daily through our diet and lifestyle. When we eat sugar and it enters into our bloodstream too quickly, we have a spike in blood sugar levels. Now in times of high activity we are able to burn it off, but if we are sitting around this is not a good thing. So in response to that high level of blood sugar, the body will release more insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin will then take the excess glucose（葡萄糖）and try to find a place to store it. If your muscles are all full（or have insulin resistance）then the best place to put the excess glucose is fat cells. When insulin is high, the fat cells are told to shut down any process of releasing stored fat into the blood for burning. With chronic high insulin spikes comes a resistance to it by your cells, leading to more insulin production, leading to more fat storing, and more resistance, eventually going down a road of diabetes and ill health for the whole body.

D) Sugar also disrupts normal brain function. I think most people can relate to mood swings and energy highs/lows that come after a high sugar meal. Sugar can also be the source of many people's increased anxiety and depression. Let us not also forget the kids with ever-increasing attention“disorders”and behavioral issues. Sugar is not helping with that, either. In fact, there have been many studies that show when taking sugar out of a kid's diet and increasing fat intake, their attention ability increases, their behavior changes for the better.

E) Sugar decreases your overall health and makes you age quicker. Too much sugar will lower your overall immune system increase destructive inflammation, lead to essential mineral deficiencies in the body, feed bad bacteria growth in your gut and other wonderful stuff. Aging is just a fancy word for the body breaking down quicker than it can repair itself, as that is what happens when we get older. Aging also is accelerated by the increasing risks of all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn't mean that we have to“age”quicker.

F) The second step is to realize you are in 100% of your actions. This could be the most underrated yet the most important step, as we are the only person who controls what we put into our body. Everything starts in what we choose to put in our mouths. Some people may say they can't control their sugar cravings, but that is already admitting defeat and giving up power to some“cosmic sugar influence”out there. We can pass on dessert, we don't need to buy a candy bar, we can drink water instead of soda, but the choice is ours to make.

G) Also many like to call it an“addiction”. This is just another way to give up your own personal power of choice. While sugar can have“addictive like”qualities, it's not something that you own or is a part of you. Fight the battle and you will get over the addictive feelings, they will go away. But if you call it an addiction and make it part of you, then it is yours to keep forever. Be free from it, let go. Take back control and anything is possible.

H) The third step is to just live the daily journey one choice at a time. Life is just a series of present moments, and the choices we make in those moments. So let's just focus on what we can do right now instead of worrying about what has happened in the past or may or may not happen in the future. “Now”is all we have and all we need to focus on.

I) Choose to eat more natural foods. Choose whole food proteins, healthy fats and natural sources of carbohydrates. If it wasn't around a thousand years ago or is made by man（and not nature）, chances are you don't need it. Note how it says“Choose”above, as it is your choice. Find the hidden sources of sugars and remove them. Sugar is hidden in places such as sauces, ketchup, soups, processed foods, drinks, so called health bars, and more. Become a label reader and see how much sugar you are consistently putting into your body. Don't fall for the marketing trick either of“low fat”, because that usually means“more sugar”.

1.We are able to lower blood sugar levels by taking part in intense activities.

2.If you consider sugar as an addiction and call it something that you own, you won't get rid of it forever.

3.In the author's opinion, the reason why many people can't help having sugar is that they are unaware of its danger.

4.When insulin in the bloodstream is high, fat cells will stop releasing stored fat.

5.The author believes that sugar which we called“good friend”in time of need in fact is a hidden enemy.

6.Many studies show that sugar-free diets with more fat can improve children's attention ability.

7.The truth that we get older is that our body breaks down faster than it can be self-repaired.

8.You yield to your addictive feelings, which means you give up your own personal power of choice.

9.The author believes that taking high sugar meals may result in mood fluctuation.

10.To be healthy, what we should do now is to eat natural foods and get rid of the hidden sources of sugars.

Passage Five

Words:943

How to Survive Black Friday

A) If you're celebrating Thanksgiving today, you might be considering venturing out to the Black Friday sales tomorrow morning. After all, there will be at least a few great deals—and you can do all your holiday gift shopping in one crazy sprint. In order to make it out with your sanity—and your wallet—intact, there are a few Black Friday tips I'd like to share.

B) First, making your shopping list is essential. When I was little, I could sit for hours with the Black Friday ads（especially Toys R Us）, telling whoever was listening that I wanted pretty much everything on each page. I may have grown out of Toys R Us, but I still see plenty I want flipping through the sales papers. Sometimes, I can even convince myself that I really need some great gadget（小玩意儿）that I hadn't actually intended to buy. So, before I even start browsing through the sales papers, I make a list of items that I'm particularly looking for. While I might adapt my list to what's on sale—maybe swap out a movie title or choose a different video game based on what is available.

C) Second, many retailers offer online deals for Black Friday, so check the online deals before shopping. When you add in gas money and the time you might spend standing in line on Friday morning, online sales are even better. Before you brave the crowds, take a look at your favorite websites—and the stores you're planning to visit. Many sales will kick in at midnight, so you'll be able to check no matter how early you're planning on getting in line at the local big box retailer. For some stores, you can order items online and pay the Black Friday price, then pick them up at your local store.

D) Third, I have to say you'd better pick a shopping buddy who will match your pace. My mother will be getting up at 4 a.m. Friday morning. While I admire her dedication, her Black Friday will be much longer than mine. I prefer to shop at a more comfortable pace, though, so I'll be going with a different shopping buddy. My mom and my sister—both power shoppers—are much happier pairing up and letting the slow poke（慢性子的人）（that's me）go on my own. I do think that having a buddy does make the whole process much easier, though: one person can stand in line while the other person grabs whatever is on the list. Even better, a buddy can help you stick to your list and your budget, avoiding unnecessary spending.

E) Fourth, don't forget to bring your ads with you. There's a chance that your discounted item may not ring up as on sale when you actually get up to the cash register. Instead of trying to recall exactly what the sale paper said, pull that ad out and ask the clerk to double check it. You can avoid confusion by carrying your ads with you—and, if you go to a store with a price-matching policy, you may be able to get the same prices that another store is offering. If you're relying on ads you found online, you might have a harder time getting a deal, though. Some stores won't even honor the prices listed on their own websites. Printing off the ad can help you convince a clerk, but it's not guaranteed.

F) Fifth, as to returns policies, they seem to get tighter every year, and they can be worse for Black Friday. For some items, stores may have only a short return policy—and they may charge you a restocking fee. If you aren't sure if you've bought the right size（or are otherwise considering a return）, plan on making your return as soon as possible. Keep your receipt handy and pick up gift receipts where necessary.

G) Sixth, it is better to use your credit card on Black Friday. Normally, I'm against using a credit card for most purchases. It's too easy to run up a big bill, but there are some definite benefits to using plastic on Black Friday. Many credit card companies have much better return protection than stores: a purchase made on your credit card may have guaranteed refund up to 90 days. Credit cards often offer warranty coverage for free on purchases—a much better deal than most of the service contracts offered by stores. Lastly, some cards offer sale price protection. If the price of your purchase is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame, you can get a refund of the difference.

H) Seventh, if you're planning to find a great deal on an HDTV on Black Friday, I'm afraid that you're out of luck. Even on Black Friday, it's rare to see much in the way of sales on big ticket electronics. The small sales are generally just not worth the hassle of trying to get a sales person to help you with anything time intensive when they're getting slammed with hundreds of shoppers.

I) Last but not least, there's nothing wrong with skipping the Black Friday sales. If there's nothing on sale that you're interested in, why bother? The entire day is set up to let retailers sell as much stuff as they can—to take as much of your money as they can. But there's no better place for your money than in your wallet or bank account. So, stay Home, relax and take advantage of your leftovers. You'll be saving money even if you wind up making a few full price purchases down the road.

1.The author's mother prefers shopping with the author's sister because the author is slow.

2.When shopping, it is better to bring the ads with you because some items may actually not be on sale.

3.You can buy items online at the Black Friday price and then get them at the local store.

4.While the author looks through the sales papers, she may make changes on her shopping list.

5.In order to help readers spend their money more reasonably on Black Friday, the author would like toshare a few Black Friday tips.

6.You can't find a great deal on expensive electronics on Black Friday because it is unnecessary for the stores to go for the small sales.

7.Skipping the Black Friday sales means you are saving money.

8.If your credit card is with price protection, you can get a refund of the price gap.

9.For items with short return policy, you have a risk of paying for a restocking fee.

10.The author advises people to use a credit card, which usually can guarantee a 90-day refund period.

Passage Six

Words:1,038

The Science of Memory: An Infinite Loop in the Brain

A) Jill Price can rattle off, without hesitation, what she saw and heard on almost any given date. She remembers many early childhood experiences and most of the days between the ages of 9 and 15.There are virtually no gaps in her memory.

B) She can also date events that were reported in the media, provided she heard about them at the time. When and where did the Concorde crash? When was O. J. Simpson arrested? When did the second Gulf War begin? Price doesn't even have to stop and think. She can effortlessly recite the dates, numbers and entire stories.

C) “People say to me: Oh, how fascinating, it must be a treat to have a perfect memory,”she says. Her lips twist into a thin smile. “But it's also agonizing. ”In addition to good memories, every angry word, every mistake, every disappointment, every shock and every moment of pain goes unforgotten. Time heals no wounds for Price. “I don't look back at the past with any distance. It's more like experiencing everything over and over again, and those memories trigger exactly the same emotions in me. It's like an endless, chaotic film that can completely overpower me. And there's no stop button. ”

D) Can someone who cannot forget even fall in love? Can they forgive, either others or themselves? Price's life has had its share of suffering, including family strife, her mother's cancer and, later, the sudden death of her husband Jim. Because she was hounded by bad memories, grew depressed and feared that she was going crazy, she sat in front of her computer on June 5,2000 and typed a single word into Google: memory. That was how Price found James McGaugh, and became part of a scientific case study.

E) McGaugh is one of the leading experts on memory in the United States. He founded the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California in Irvine. “I was skeptical, of course, when Jill told me her story,”says McGaugh, a slim, grey-haired man with glasses. “But I've spent most of my life studying the mechanisms in the brain that are associated with the development of lasting memories. So I thought that I should at least meet the woman. ”

F) McGaugh and his staff realized they were looking at an exotic case, perhaps even a scientific sensation. For that reason they took a thorough approach, and for five years they subjected Price to batteries of neuropsychological（神经心理学的）tests, combed the professional literature for similar cases and developed special questionnaires to allow them to test her memory.

G) Once she was asked to write down the dates of all Easter holidays from 1980 to 2003.“It took her 10 minutes, and she only got one of the 24 dates wrong, where she was off by two days,”says McGaugh. He had Price repeat the test two years later, and the second time she got all the dates right. “I thought that was especially impressive,”says McGaugh,“because she is Jewish. Easter means nothing to her. ”

H) McGaugh and his colleagues concluded that Price's episodic memory, her recollection of personal experiences and the emotions associated with them, is virtually perfect. A case like this has never been described in the history of memory research, according to McGaugh. He explains that Price differs substantially from other people with special powers of recall, such as autistic savants（自闭学者）, because she uses no strategies to help her remember and even does a surprisingly poor job on some memory tests.

I) It's difficult for her to memorize poems or series of numbers—which helps explain why she never stood out in school. Her semantic memory, the ability to remember facts not directly related to everyday life, is only average.

J) Two years ago, the scientists published their first conclusions in a professional journal without revealing the identity of their subject. Since then, more than 200 people have contacted McGaugh, all claiming to have an equally perfect episodic memory. Most of them were exposed as fakes. Three did appear to have similarly astonishing abilities. “Their personalities are very different. The others are not as anxious as Jill. But they achieve comparable results in the tests,”McGaugh reports. The subjects do have certain compulsive traits in common, says McGaugh, especially compulsive hoarding.

K) In neurobiological terms, a memory is a stored pattern of links between nerve cells in the brain. It is created when synapses in a network of neurons are activated for a short time. The more often the memory is recalled afterwards, the more likely it is that permanent links develop between the nerve cells—and the pattern will be stored as a long-term memory. In theory there are so many possible links that an almost unlimited number of memories can be permanently stored.

L) So why don't all people have the same powers of recollection as Jill Price? “If we could remember everything equally well, the brain would be hopelessly overburdened and would operate more slowly,”says McGaugh. He says forgetting is a necessary condition of having a viable memory—except in the case of Price and the other three memory superstars.

M) For McGaugh, there is another reason why people with such phenomenal memory are so puzzling. They challenge a theory on which his research has been based for the last half a century. This theory, based on clinical observation, says memories are stored in greater detail and with more staying power when they are tied to emotion.

N) Sensations are emotionally processed in the amygdala, a specific part of the brain's limbic system. There decisions are made as to which information should remain in long-term memory. The more powerfully the amygdala is activated, the greater the likelihood of a permanent memory. “But now here we have these four people who seem to violate this principle, because they also remember the most banal and inconsequential things,”says McGaugh.

1.Price didn't study very well because she had difficulties in memorizing a battery of numbers and poems.

2.For common people, forgetting is a necessary condition of having a viable memory.

3.The other three subjects with perfect episodic memory have different personalities.

4.When she was first asked to write down the more than 20 dates of Easter holidays, Price just made one mistake.

5.When people admire Price's perfect memory, she shows a thin smile because it also causes her some troubles.

6.When McGaugh first heard Price's story, he thought it unimaginable.

7.Price became depressed and was afraid that she was going out of her mind because she was wrenched by bad memories consistently.

8.In neurobiological terms, memories can be permanently stored when permanent links develop between the nerve cells.

9.Price and the other three subjects contradict McGaugh's theory in that they also remember the most trite and trivial things.

10.McGaugh's research is based on the theory that memories are stored in greater detail when they are tied to emotion.

Passage Seven

Words:1,023

The Development of Television Technology

A) Radio and television were major agents of social change in the 20th century. Radio was once the center for family entertainment and news. Television enhanced this revolution by adding sight to sound. Both opened the windows to other lives, to remote areas of the world, and to history in the making. News coverage changed from early and late editions of newspapers to broadcast coverage from the scene. Play-by-play sports broadcasts and live concerts enhanced entertainment coverage. For many, the only cultural performances or sports events they would ever hear or see would emanate from（出自）the speakers or the screens in their living rooms. Each has engaged millions of people in the major historical events that have shaped the world.

B) If people could look at the sky and see how it is organized into frequency bands used for different purposes, they would be amazed. Radio waves crisscross the atmosphere at the speed of light, relaying incredible amounts of information—navigational data, radio signals, television pictures—using devices for transmission and reception designed, built, and refined by a century of engineers.

C) Key figures in the late 1800s included Nikola Tesla, who developed the Tesla coil, and James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz, who proved mathematically the possibility of transmitting electromagnetic signals between widely separated points. It was Guglielmo Marconi who was most responsible for taking the theories of radio waves out of the laboratory and applying them to practical devices. His“wireless”telegraph demonstrated its great potential for worldwide communication in 1901 by sending a signal—the letter“s”—in Morse code a distance of 2,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Radio technology was just around the corner.

D) Immediate engineering challenges addressed the means of transmitting and receiving coded messages, and developing a device that could convert a high frequency oscillating signal into an electric current capable of registering as sound. The first significant development was“the Edison effect”, the discovery that the carbon filament in the electric light bulb could radiate a stream of electrons to a nearby test electrode if it had a positive charge. In 1904.Sir John Ambrose Fleming of Britain took this one step further by developing the diode which allowed electric current to be detected by a telephone receiver. Two years later, American Lee De Forest developed the triode, introducing a third electrode（the grid）between the filament and the plate. It could amplify a signal to make live voice broadcasting possible, and was quickly added to Marconi's wireless telegraph to produce the radio.

E) Radio development was hampered by restrictions placed on airwaves during World War I. Technical limitations were also a problem. Few people had receivers, and those that did had to wear headsets. Radio was seen by many as a hobby for telegraphy buffs. It would take a great deal of engineering before the radio would become the unifying symbol of family entertainment and the medium for news that was its destiny.

F) In the mid-1920s, technical developments expanded transmission distances, radio stations were built across the country, and the performance and appearance of the radio were improved. With tuning circuits, capacitors, microphones, oscillators, and loudspeakers, the industry blossomed in just a decade. By the mid-1930s almost every American household had a radio. The advent of the transistor in the 1950s completely transformed its size, style, and portability.

G) Both television and radar were logical spin-offs of the radio. Almost 50 years before television became a reality, its fundamental principles had been independently developed in Europe, Russia, and the United States. John Baird in England and Charles Jenkins in the United States worked independently to combine modulated light and a scanning wheel to reconstruct a scene in line-by-line sweeps. In 1925.Baird succeeded in transmitting a recognizable image.

H) Philo T. Farnsworth, a 21-year-old inventor from Utah, patented a scanning cathode ray tube, and Vladimir Zworykin of RCA devised a superior television camera in 1930.Regularly scheduled broadcasts started shortly thereafter, and by the early 1940s there were 23 television stations in operation throughout the United States.

I) Shortly after World War II, televisions began to appear on the market. The first pictures were faded and flickering, but more than a million sets were sold before the end of the decade. An average set cost $500 at a time when the average salary was less than $3,000 a year. In 1950 engineers perfected the rectangular cathode-ray tube and prices dropped to $200 per set. Within 10 years 45 million units were sold.

J) A study of how human vision works enabled engineers to develop television technology. Images are retained on the retina of a viewer's eye for a fraction of a second after they strike it. By displaying images piece by piece at sufficient speed, the illusion of a complete picture can be created. By changing the image on the screen 25 to 30 times per second, movement can be realistically represented. Early scanning wheels slowly built a picture line by line. In contrast, each image on a modern color television screen is comprised of more than 100,000 picture elements（pixels）, arranged in several hundred lines. The image displayed changes every few hundredths of a second. For a 15-minute newscast, the television must accurately process more than 1 billion units of information. Technical innovations that made this possible included a screen coated with millions of tiny dots of fluorescent compounds that emit light when struck by high-speed electrons.

K) Today this technology is in transition again, moving away from conventional television waves and on to discrete digital signals carried by fiber optics. This holds the potential for making television interactive—allowing a viewer to play a game or order action replays. Cathode ray tubes with power-hungry electron guns are giving way to liquid crystal display（LCD）panels. Movie-style wide screens and flat screens are readily available. Digital signals enable High Definition Television（HDTV）to have almost double the usual number of pixels, giving a much sharper picture. The advent of cable television and advances in fiber-optic technology will also help lift the present bandwidth restrictions and increase image quality.

1.More than one hundred years ago, the diode which allowed electric current to be detected by a telephone receiver was developed.

2.Technical limitations acted as an obstacle to radio development during World War I.

3.Guglielmo Marconi was the main person who applied the theories of radio waves to practical devices.

4.Entertainment coverage was enhanced by live sports broadcasts and performances.

5.The appearance of transistors brought thorough changes to the outlook and portability of radio.

6.Almost a half century before television became a reality, some countries had developed its fundamental principles.

7.The price of televisions reduced to $200 per set after the rectangular cathode-ray tube was improved.

8.The problem of bandwidth currently can be solved with the appearance of cable television and advances in fiber-optic technology.

9.Nowadays, television technology is experiencing a change from traditional television waves to discrete digital signals carried by fiber optics.

10.The development of television technology was based on the theory of how human vision works.

Passage Eight

Words:1,360

Is the United States Addicted to Gasoline?

A) Used in everything from lipstick and lubricants to motor oil and medications, oil is one product the world just can't seem to get enough of. The United States especially, which consumes roughly 21 million barrels of the stuff a day, has quite an attachment to this ubiquitous（普遍存在的）product. And while oil can be refined into a variety of products, Americans seem to prefer theirs in the form of gasoline. In fact, the United States consumes more gasoline than South America, Europe, Africa and Asia combined.

B) So what's with the United States and its gasoholic tendencies? Is the country truly addicted to gasoline, and if so, what factors led it to get hooked?

C) While the United States obviously has quite a fixation with the amber liquid, its fondness for gasoline probably doesn't fit the official criteria for an addiction. Rather, the affinity is more like a bad habit spurred on by a number of government policies put into place over the years. Combine a relatively wealthy nation with low fuel taxes, low fuel efficiency requirements and a poor public transportation system, and you have the perfect climate for a gasoline obsession.

D) As opposed to other countries like Denmark, where high purchase taxes on cars can deter driving, the United States has few roadblocks to impede their gas-guzzling ways. Quite the opposite, in fact—with a vast road system crisscrossing the country and relatively cheap fill-up stations every few miles, what are American citizens to do? Why, drive of course!And drive they do, as there are more than 244 million vehicles roaming U.S. highways—755 cars for every 1,000 people.

E) Lots of cars don't automatically equal high gasoline consumption though. Consider Portugal, which has 773 cars for every 1,000 people, yet consumed less than 45,000 barrels of gasoline a day in 2004.True, the United States is much larger than Portugal, but that's not the only reason its gasoline consumption far outpaces every other nation. Despite the fact that Americans now own fewer vehicles than they used to, the vehicles they do own travel farther and require more gasoline than those of any other industrialized nation.

F) While the unprecedented price of $4 per gallon of gasoline may have come as a shock to Americans during the summer of 2008.citizens in other countries have been paying at least that much for years. Across Europe, high fuel taxes equate to gasoline prices regularly in the range of $8 per gallon. In the United States, where the average gas tax in July 2008 was $0.49 per gallon, lower prices have encouraged a range of habits that have simply exacerbated（使加剧）gasoline consumption.

G) While Europeans were gravitating toward smaller, more efficient cars to save money at the pump, their American counterparts were ogling gargantuan SUVs. Stemming from consumer demand as well as government requirements to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and make cars more efficient, the average vehicle in Europe gets more than 32 miles per gallon. In the United States, though, a similar-size car doesn't even manage 22 mpg（35 kpg）. Why the discrepancy? Perhaps because fuel efficiency standards in the United States were largely ignored from 1985 to 2005.If those standards had instead been raised as little as 0.4 miles per year, the United States could possibly have saved about 3.3 million barrels of oil a day.

H) The demand for fuel efficiency in Europe also creates a better market for diesel cars, further lessening the area's reliance on gas. Only 4 percent of the cars in the United States run on diesel;in Europe the percentage is 10 times higher. Again, Americans can lay some of the blame for that on their government, which discourages the more fuel-efficient diesel cars by taxing this fuel more heavily.

I) The United States'appetite for gasoline can't solely be attributed to the large number of inefficient cars on the road. As you learned on the previous page, those cars drive an awful lot of miles—an awful lot being 7 billion miles every day. Part of that long commute can be traced to personal choice—with access to historically low gas prices, Americans saw no need to live near the city center to save energy like people in some other countries do. Instead, they packed up and headed out to the suburbs.

J) The other side of that coin is the government's inability to fund public transportation projects adequately. Whereas new highway construction receives an ample 80 percent of federal funding, new public transportation projects receive just 50 percent. In 2009.the proposed U.S. budget would cut $202 million from transit spending and transfer $3.2 billion from funds dedicated to transit. These cuts come despite an estimate from the Treasury Department that the Highway Trust Fund and the Mass Transit Account will both face massive deficits in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

K) Meanwhile, the governments of other nations throughout Europe and Japan and China have avidly supported transportation alternatives like high-speed rail. Better public transportation options combined with more compact cities equals less gasoline consumption. In Paris, people complete almost half of their trips without cars;in the United States, that number is closer to 20 percent.

L) Americans have made several attempts to kick the gasoline habit cold turkey, but every time, their thirst for fuel wins out. The country's gasoline consumption abated during recessions in 1975,1980 and 1990.only to resume an aggressive climb once the economy improved. However, many experts now believe the most recent decline in consumption—the largest sustained drop in 16 years—could be here to stay.

M) Due to record high gasoline prices in the summer of 2008.Americans made big changes to cut back their fuel consumption. They drove 9.6 billion miles less in May than compared with the year before, and their gasoline consumption in July 2008 was 3.6 percent lower than last year's level.

N) If high gasoline prices were the only player in this game, those gains would probably follow the trend of past successes and simply rebound. This time, though, the high gas prices were compounded by a weak housing market and an even weaker economy, where prices for all consumer goods were up 4.3 percent from a year before—a 16-year high. According to the Energy Information Administration, every 1 percent decrease in personal income leads to a 0.5 percent reduction in gasoline consumption.

O) The double whammy（致命打击）of high gas prices and a weak consumer market seems to have forced Americans to do more than just scale back their driving. Americans appear to have made changes that will have a lasting impact even if fuel prices drop back down. They've started buying smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, and they've traded their houses out in the suburbs for homes more convenient to where they work. The government has even gotten on board to some degree by enforcing more rigorous fuel-efficiency standards and offering subsidies on some hybrid vehicles. In January 2008.sales of large cars were down 26.5 percent from last year, while small-car and crossover vehicle sales were up 6.5 percent and 15.1 percent, respectively.

P) Although most Americans would probably agree that coping with high gas prices hasn't been pleasant, perhaps it has at least given the atmosphere somewhat of a reprieve. U.S. transportation accounts for an entire third of its CO2 emissions and produces more of these emissions than any other nation. While regular smog alerts and threats of global warming fail to generate much action, $4 per gallon at the pumps seems to do the trick. If the rest of the world has learned anything from watching the United States cope with its ballooning gas prices, it's that to get its stubborn citizens to change, one may have to resort to the old adage of“no pains, no gains. ”

1.The American transportation takes up a third of its CO2 emissions and produces more of these emissions than any other country.

2.About a decade ago, Portugal consumed not more than 45,000 barrels of gasoline a day.

3.In some countries, high purchase taxes are imposed on cars so as to reduce driving.

4.A series of government policies contributed to American affinity for gasoline.

5.As a result of high gasoline prices in 2008.Americans took great measures to cut back their fuel consumption.

6.Among a range of products made from petroleum, gasoline is Americans'favorite.

7.China has greatly supported high-speed rail as an alternative way of transportation.

8.If fuel efficiency standards had been raised a bit per year, America could possibly have saved several million barrels of oil a day.

9.It seems that the impact of high gas prices and a weak consumer market has forced Americans to reduce their driving.

10.The American government should be blamed for its inability to provide enough funds for public transportation projects.

Passage Nine

Words:1,262

How Long Will Google's Magic Last?

A) “GOOGLE is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one,”wrote Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the search firm's founders, in a letter to investors ahead of its stockmarket flotation in 2004.Since then, Google has burnished its reputation as one of the quirkiest companies on the planet. This year alone it has raised eyebrows by taking a stake in a wind-energy project off the east coast of America and by testing self-driving cars, which have already covered over 140,000 miles（225,000km）on the country's roads.

B) Google has been able to afford such flights of fancy thanks to its amazingly successful online-search business. This has produced handsome returns for the firm's investors, who have seen the company transform itself in the space of a mere 12 years from a tiny start-up into a behemoth with a $180 billion market capitalisation that sprawls across a vast headquarters in Silicon Valley known as the Googleplex. Google also stretches across the web like a giant spider, with a leg in everything from online search and e-mail to social networking and web-based software applications, or apps.

C) Much of its growth has been organic, but Google has also splashed out on some sizeable acquisitions. In 2006 it paid $1.7 billion for YouTube, a website that lets people post videos of their children, kittens and Lady Gaga impersonations. The following year it snapped up DoubleClick, an online-advertising network, for $3.1 billion. More deals are likely. Google is bidding for Groupon, a trendy e-commerce business, using some of the $33 billion sitting in its coffers.

D) All this has turned Google into a force to be reckoned with. But now Google is faced with two conventional business challenges. The first involves placating regulators, who fret that it may be abusing its considerable power. On November 30th the European Union announced a formal investigation into claims that Google has been manipulating search results to give an unfair advantage to its own services—a charge the firm vigorously denies. In America, Google faces a similar investigation in Texas and is also battling with a bunch of online-travel companies who have been lobbying the government to veto its recent purchase of ITA Software, a company that provides data about flights.

E) The other challenge facing Google is how to find new sources of growth. In spite of all the experiments it has launched, the firm is still heavily dependent on search-related advertising. Last year this accounted for almost all of its $24 billion of revenue and $6.5 billion of profit. Acquisitions such as YouTube have deepened rather than reduced the firm's dependence on advertising. Steve Ballmer, the boss of Google's arch-rival Microsoft, has derided the search company for being“a one-trick pony”.

F) Ironically, investors'biggest worry is that Google will end up like Microsoft, which has failed to find big new sources of revenue and profit to replace those from its two ageing ponies, the Windows operating system and the Office suite of business software. That explains why Google's share price has stagnated. “The market seems to believe this could be like Microsoft version two,”says Mark Mahaney, an analyst at Citigroup. News of the formal EU antitrust enquiry will no doubt invite further comparisons with Mr Ballmer's firm, which fought a long and bruising battle with European regulators.

G) Is such a comparison fair? Those who think it is point to several changes that could damage Google. The first is the rise of new ways in which people can find information online. They include social networks such as Facebook, which saw traffic to its site in America surpass that to Google's sites earlier this year, and apps offered by Apple and other firms that help people find information without using a web browser.

H) Another cause for concern is that firms such as Facebook and Apple are hoarding customer data, thereby making them inaccessible to Google's search engine. The rise of such“walled gardens”on the web clearly bothers Google's top brass. “Two years ago I would have told you this isn't a problem,”says Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive. “Now I will tell you it is a threat. ”Google recently clashed publicly and caustically with Facebook over the latter's data practices, warning potential users that the social network had become“a data dead end”.

I) Lastly, there are problems inside the Googleplex itself. The company has lost a number of stars, such as Omar Hamoui, the founder of AdMob, a mobile-advertising company that Google acquired last year, and Lars Rasmussen, who led a project called Wave to create a new kind of online collaborative tool. Mr Rasmussen recently moved to Facebook, complaining that it had become impossible to get things done at Google because of the bureaucracy at the company, which now boasts 23,000 employees. Admittedly, Mr Rasmussen may still be sore that Google shuttered his project, which flopped. But his complaint resonates with some Xooglers（the nickname for former Google employees）, who say decision-making has become painfully slow as the firm has grown. Jon Holman, an executive recruiter, reckons Google is going through what he calls“a Darwinian evolution”that could make it harder to attract top talent in future.

J) Does all this mean that Google's glory days are over? Don't bet on it. True, the firm's revenue growth slowed from 56% 2007 to 9% year, but that was still respectable considering that the global economy fell howling off a cliff. And there are signs that the company is picking up steam again: its third-quarter revenue rose by 23% $7.3 billion, which beat most analysts'expectations.

K) Moreover, Google is well placed to benefit from several important trends. One is the rapid growth in the amount of data being produced worldwide, which provide the raw material on which Google's search engine feasts. For instance, YouTube is now taking in 35 hours-worth of video content every minute of the day, up from about six hours-worth in June 2007.That suggests there is still likely to be a big role for a general-purpose search engine, even if people do use apps and social networks more often to get information.

L) Google also stands to gain as more advertising moves to the web. Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, finds that Americans spend 28% their media time online, yet only 13% total ad spending is devoted to the internet. If ads ultimately catch up with eyeballs, an extra $50 billion-worth of advertising could be shifted online each year, Morgan Stanley estimates.

M) Then there is the rise of the mobile web, which looks as if it will form the cornerstone of Google's second act. At the heart of that act lies Android, the firm's smartphone operating system, which it lets telecoms firms and phone-makers use for nothing. Some critics have hammered Google for giving Android away when other companies such as Microsoft charge for their operating systems. But the firm wants as many people as possible to adopt Android, which acts as a“platform”that encourages them to explore other Google services, including e-mail and search.

N) This approach seems to be working. From practically nothing a couple of years ago, Android now accounts for an impressive 26% the market, rivalling Apple's popular iPhone. To support it, Google has been developing its own library of online apps, and it is looking at other ways to please smartphone users, such as e-commerce. The firm also hopes that an operating system it has developed around its lightning-fast web browser, Chrome, will prove popular. This might be ideal for powering netbooks（small laptop computers）, for example.

1.Investors of Google are most concerned that Google follows Microsoft's disastrous road, failing to find new sources of growth.

2.Google once spent a huge sum of money on a few considerable network companies.

3.Search-related advertising is still a major source of income for Google.

4.Unlike Microsoft's operating systems, Google's smartphone operating system is free.

5.Google offers a wide range of items, from online search and e-mail to social networking and apps.

6.Attracting and retaining top talents is important for Google in future.

7.The traffic to new emerging social networks in America has outnumbered that to Google's sites.

8.Google warned users that some social network firms were gathering their data.

9.The rapid growth of the raw materials produced online suggests Google's search engine still plays a vital role.

10.Google has to pacify government regulatory bodies in Europe and America and deal with their investigations.

Passage Ten

Words:1,169

Financial Tips from the Great Depression

A) Having lived through the Depression, our grandparents and great-grandparents formed a lack of trust in banks and turned to burying cash in the backyard or hiding it under the mattress. Our current economic downturn doesn't yet call for such drastic measures but there are things we can learn from those who went through this challenging era and prospered.

B) Growing at least some of your own food can save a lot of money, and provide the satisfaction that comes from eating local, really local. Consider starting a community garden such as the Depression-era community relief gardens, or the World War II Victory Gardens, searching step-by-step instructions on the Internet, and applying those ideas to any project that you can implement on someone's vacant lot（with permission）.

C) Not everything about the Depression was actually depressing. In hard times, we can sometimes find a lot of pleasure in remembering to enjoy the simple things in life. During the 1930s, games like Monopoly became popular because they gave people hope and allowed them to dream of a better life. Remember some of the board games from your childhood, and plan a low-tech outing with friends and family. It will also help you remember that you don't absolutely need every single gadget that hits the store shelves, and on top of that it will be a bit cheaper than spending the day at Disneyland.

D) Hitchhiking（搭乘）was prevalent in the Great Depression, and this is one area that can at least offer some creativity, although Mint absolutely does not recommend that you sell your car and get to work each day by holding up a thumb next to the freeway, nor should you become a hobohemian（流浪汉）and hop trains to get around. However, since owning a car is more of a luxury than a necessity, we can learn from the community aspect and form carpools, walk to the store if it's only a mile away, and if you are lucky enough to have a half-decent public transportation system, Google Maps now shows your time and cost to drive relative to taking a bus or walking. Consider moving closer to where you work and walk or ride a bike instead. Like Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover, says:“If you are willing to live like no one else now, you can live like no one else later. ”Essentially, by defying convention, even for a relatively short amount of time, you can save a hefty sum of money.

E) We all have different situations, and this is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation and the world right now. You might be just out of college and trying to make it on your own, or you might be paying for your child's college now, but there are definitely lessons to be learned from the Depression. In some cases, it may be beneficial to sacrifice a bit of privacy in the short-term in order to get back on track（回到正轨）financially. Rent an extra bedroom to a friend, have your child move back home if you are struggling to send him or her rent money every month, or downsize your home. You don't have to necessarily make a gut-wrenching（搜肠刮肚的）decision overnight, but do yourself a favor and at least check out some listings on Craigslist for rentals, or have a real estate agent e-mail you listings in a cheaper price range. If a great deal pops up that piques（刺激）your interest, you can at least bat around the idea with your family. If you are single, just go for it!

F) Due to the extensive public works projects in the 1930s, there was at least a bit of relief for the unemployed masses. People simply took any work they could, and often worked 12-hour days. If you are looking for employment, you might consider looking for a position that is slightly below your ideal salary, but that seems to have the most potential for advancement. If you are entrepreneurial, and perhaps have already fallen behind on bills, one positive thing about the current economic climate is that you are starting over at a time when many other people are also faced with starting from scratch（白手起家）financially, and perhaps you may even be in a position where you literally have nothing left to lose, which can be a great time for personal innovation and taking the risk to start in a new industry or implement an idea that's always been in the back of your mind. It's time for boot-strapping（步步为营法）!

G) If you have credit available, you might be tempted to use it before the bank cuts the credit line. Don't do it. Going into debt will only hurt you in the long run. Instead, remember the words of your grandmother and heed this simple, age-old advice—“if you can't afford to pay cash, you can't afford it. ”

H) When you simply have no money, it is easy to keep spending under control because it is impossible to spend. In many cases, one spouse saved money in the cupboard and even hid it from the other spouse. There is a good trick to be found here that requires a lot of discipline. If, for example, you are getting hit with overdraft（透支）fees, you need to establish a barrier that you absolutely will not dip below（even if it means paying a bill late）. Take the cue from the 1930s and use cash rather than debit for your petty purchases, especially when you are close to zero in your account. This will help avoid paying $36 for that pack of gum if an unexpected payment goes through your account and causes an overdraft fee.

I) For our grandparents and great-grandparents who lived through the 1930s, many months surely consisted of living in survival mode, and there were much fewer recurring expenses and bills to be paid, so it was possible in a lot of cases to keep track of spending without even necessarily writing it down. Today, we have several types of accounts, in many cases at different institutions, with new types of debt and monthly payments to keep track of, so take a look at Mint's free software today and start tracking your spending automatically to find areas where you can save money.

1.During the Great Depression, traveling by getting rides from passing vehicles without paying was a very popular way of transportation.

2.One lesson learned from the Depression is that giving up a bit of personal privacy can save us from economic woes.

3.People liked to play Monopoly game during the Great Depression for it offered people hope and a better life yearning for the future.

4.We can still learn some financial tips from our elders, though some of their extreme ways are undesirable.

5.In essence, by challenging common practice, we can save a lot of money even in a relatively short period of time.

6.Growing food in a community garden can be economical and afford a satisfaction of enjoying the local food.

7.To avoid going into debt, you should reconsider what you can afford and need.

8.It is better to constitute a barrier that you will not dip below while you are facing the problem of overdraft fees.

9.Comparing with those who went through the Great Depression, today we have new kinds of debt and monthly payments to record.

10.The author advises people who are looking for a job to take a job with lower salary but more potential for advancement.

答案解析

Passage One

文章精要

地震危害巨大，了解地震对减少其带来的损失有着重要意义。本文讲解了引发地震的因素、与地震有关的地壳板块运动和地震的危害，并指出尽管人类还无法准确预测地震，但一些必要的防御措施能够减少地震带来的损失。

答案解析

1.E　本题是对E段最后一句话的同义转述。定位关键词是Earthquake-related fatalities。原文用it's not...that claims lives;it's...结构指出“通常不是地壳晃动引起的死亡，而是伴随而来的房屋倒塌或其他自然灾害导致的死亡”，题目用...be caused by...not by...结构表达了同样的意思。

2.C　本题是对C段最后两句的归纳，题目将两句话的含义概括为一句话。定位关键词是movements of the earth's plates, volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts。

3.D　本题是对D段的总结。定位关键词是get our attention。D段首句就提到每天都会发生地震，最后一句提到只有大地震才能引起人们的注意，本题就是对这两句话的概括。

4.A　本题是对A段最后两句的同义转述。定位关键词是shatter。题目中的the ground beneath their feet同义转述了原文中的the ground we stand on。

5.N　本题是对N段最后两句的概括。定位关键词是better ways。文章最后一句提到，我们能做的就是增加我们对地震的认识，寻找更好的方法来应对它，与题干表达一致。

6.K　本题是对K段第三句的同义转述。定位关键词是hardly predictable。原文提到：虽然我们对地震有了更深的了解，但地震仍然不受我们的控制，地震是无法预测的，人们不可能得知地震什么时候会发生，表达与题干一致。

7.B　本题是对B段第三、四句的同义转述。定位关键词是cause earthquakes。题目中的found out同义转述了原文中的identified。

8.L　本题是对L段最后两句的概括。定位关键词是designed。原文提到：过去50年我们在应对地震方面取得了进步，尤其是在建筑工程领域。我们用特殊材料加固房屋以应对地震的破坏，我们设计足够灵活的房屋，确保地震不会导致房屋倒塌，这与题干表达的完全一致。

9.F　本题是F段中举例的一部分。定位关键词是the theory of plate tectonics。原文提到科学家用the idea of plate tectonics解释很多现象，其中之一就是the apparent movement of continents over time。

10.I　本题是对I段最后一句的同义转述。定位关键词是convergent plate boundaries。题干中的refer to与原文中的are called属于同义转述。

Passage Two

文章精要

文章主要介绍了什么是臭氧，臭氧污染的形成、危害，以及臭氧有利的一面。文章还具体介绍了如何自己手工制作检测仪；如何避免暴露在臭氧之下；如何预防和减少臭氧污染等。

答案解析

1.B　本题答案的信息来自B段的倒数第二、三句话。原文中提到太阳紫外线将氧分子分成了两个单独的氧原子，氧原子与氧分子再结合就生成了臭氧。题干正好表达了这个意思。ultraviolet rays即是原文中的ultraviolet light。

2.E　本题答案的信息来自E段第一句话。题目中的find out about意为“弄清有关……的情况”，和原文中的detect and monitor含义相对应；题目中的in your own locale和原文中的in your own backyard相对应。

3.F　本题答案的信息来自F段。F段提到人吸入臭氧后，它可以贯穿你的呼吸系统。接着提到它可能损害细支气管、肺部等呼吸系统的部位，故可知长期暴露在臭氧下有损呼吸系统。

4.N　本题答案的信息来自N段第五句话，题干是对本句的同义转述。

5.C　本题答案的信息来自C段的第二句话。原句中先说“果”后说“因”，题目将“因”提前，然后说“果”；原文中的man-made与题干中的artificial相对应；原文中的termed与题干中的known as相对应。

6.M　本题答案的信息来自M段第二句和最后一句话。原文中第二句话首先提到Ozone is“good”when it is in the stratosphere.，在最后一句中提到臭氧为什么有益；原文中的beneficial与题干中的helpful相对应；题目中的separates from对应原文中的prevents from。

7.J　本题答案的信息来自J段第一、二、三句话。原文中J段的首句提到有几种可以降低臭氧污染的方法，接下来提到的一种方法是Do not use gasoline-powered lawn equipment during these times. 由此推测Using gasoline-powered lawn equipment会导致臭氧污染增加；而由第二句话可推测出原文中的during these times指的是in the late spring, summer and early fall。

8.D　本题答案的信息来自D段第一句话。原文提到臭氧污染主要在城市和城市郊区出现，但因为风和汽车、卡车运输的作用，农村也会发生臭氧污染，题干是对此的归纳。

9.K　本题答案的信息来自K段第一句话。原文中的initiated和题目中的set up属于同义转换；原文中的stringent替换为了rigorous；原文中的reduce ozone pollution替换为了decrease ozone pollution。

10.H　本题答案的信息来自H段第一句话。题目中的keep you away from对应原文的protect yourself from；题目中的Pay close attention to对应原文的should be aware of。

Passage Three

文章精要

文章指出，目前美国大学在录取新生时，仍然比较看重分数。在一些学校里由于奖学金政策的执行，学生的分数迅速攀升。考试的拥护者指出，考试有必要存在，因为它给学生提供了展示自我的平台，而这也无疑会给学生带来巨大的压力。

答案解析

1.E　本题的出题点在E段的最后一句话，属于数字题。从原文可以看出，申请者的人数为47,317，而获得4.0或者4.0以上分数者的人数接近23,000，由此可知比例接近50%。

2.F　本题是F段的总结。原文提到，对学生的选拔最为严格的学校也越来越难以参与到降低标准考试的影响的活动中来，也就是说，这些学校很难降低标准考试的影响。

3.K　本题的出题点在K段的最后两句话，属于数字题。More than 30 years ago可推测应该是上世纪七八十年代，对应原文的1975年；从原文可以看出，在大一新生中，2005年在高中取得A或者更好成绩的人数差不多是总人数的23%，而在1975年时此比例减半，大约为11.5%。

4.H　本题的出题点在H段。原文提到最近标准考试有一些负面影响，许多学校已经停止要求用考试分数来评判学生。题干的negative effects转述了原文的bad publicity。

5.D　本题是对D段前两句话的同义转述。原文提到：有些人把Zalasky的努力这种现象称为“分数膨胀”，暗示他的这种进步不值得接受，而其他人认为那些学生真正赢得了好的评价，题干中的win the praise for him同义转述了原文中的earning their better marks。

6.B　本题的出题点在B段的第一句和第五句。原文提到even Zalasky is nervous about his prospects。接着在第五句中提到了原因：It's that so many of his classmates are so good. 由此可知题目是这两句的总结。

7.P　本题的出题点在P段的第二句话。题目中的Some colleges替换原文中的colleges like his；题目中的conquered和原文中的overcome属于同义词转换；原文中的are more interested in换成了另一种说法would like to admit；原文中的robots是一种比喻的说法，比喻那些完美得像机器人一样的学生。

8.N　本题的出题点在N段的最后一句话。题目中的In the next year替换原文中的Next year；题目中的a series of替换原文中的a range of；题目中的avoiding paying too much attention to替换原文中的no longer giving...weight to。

9.S　本题考查人物的观点。S段后半部分指出，Zalasky表示，学校的想法是，如果你没有得到全A的成绩，你就没有学得很好，学生们为了得到A都有很大的压力。文章最后提到，Hicks将Zalasky所在的学校和纽约洋基队的情况作了比较，“如果他们不能取胜，那么他们就失败了”，即对于学生来说不能得到A就等于失败。

10.Q　本题出题点在Q段的第一句话。题目表达意思与原句表述一致，题目用非限定性定语从句解释说明原文中破折号之后的内容；题目中的more and more schools和原文中的a growing number of schools属于同义转述。

Passage Four

文章精要

糖类食品无处不在，影响了人们的健康。作者建议人们做到以下三个步骤，以保证健康的生活：第一，真正了解糖对人体的危害；第二，完全控制自己吃糖的欲望；第三，做到健康饮食，远离糖类食品。

答案解析

1.C　本题是对C段第四、五句话的总结。文章提到，我们吃下的糖很快会进入血液中，导致体内的血糖水平达到峰值，而进行剧烈运动可以降低这个峰值。题目中的intense activities与文中的high activity同义；题目中的lower和原文中的burn off属于同义转述。

2.G　本题信息来自G段倒数第三句话。题目中的consider...as对应原文的call it；题目中的call it something that you own对应原文的make it part of you；题目中的won't get rid of对应原文的keep。

3.B　本题信息是对B段前三句的总结。文章指出，大多数人都知道不应该吃糖，但是他们忍不住，在作者看来，他们缺乏对糖的害处的真正认识。题目中的unaware of its danger是对原文lack of true awareness of what sugar does to oneself的同义转述。

4.C　本题信息来自C段倒数第二句话。文章指出，当血液中胰岛素的含量很高时，脂肪细胞就会停止将储存的脂肪释放到血液中消耗掉，题目中的stop对应原文中的shut down any process of。

5.A　本题信息来自A段的第三句话，此句是一个用but连接的前后语义转折句。文章指出，很多人在需要糖的时候把它们当作朋友，但事实上，糖是披着“好朋友”外衣的最糟糕的敌人，题目中的hidden与原文中的in disguise相对应。

6.D　本题信息来自D段最后一句话。文章指出，事实上有许多研究表明，去掉儿童饮食中的糖分，增加脂肪摄入，可以增强他们的注意力。题目中的sugar-free diets with more fat对应原文的when taking sugar out of a kid's diet and increasing fat intake；题目中的improve children's attention ability对应原文的their attention ability increases。

7.E　本题信息来自E段第三句话。文章提到，所谓衰老就是身体的衰退速度比其自身的修复速度快，随着我们年龄的增长，衰老一直在进行着。题目中的The truth对应原文的is just a fancy word for；题目中的faster than对应原文的quicker than。

8.F　本题信息来自F段第四句话。文章提到，许多人忍不住吃糖，把这称之为上瘾，其实这就是以另一种方式放弃了个人的选择权。可以理解成你不能控制自己的选择，被欲望控制了。题目中的yield to对应原文的defeat。

9.D　本题信息来自D段第二句话。文章提到，作者认为大多数人在吃过含糖量高的食物后，都经历过情绪波动，或者精力水平或高或低。题目中的result in对应原文的relate to；题目中的mood fluctuation对应原文的mood swings。

10.I　本题信息来自I段的第一句话和第五句话。I段第一句话提到，我们要选择吃绿色天然食品，接着提出要找到食物中隐藏的糖，然后将它们除掉。题目中的get rid of对应原文中的remove。

Passage Five

文章精要

本文的作者给要在黑色星期五购物的人们提出了八条建议，帮助人们更容易买到物美价廉的商品。（注：“黑色星期五”是美国感恩节后第一天，标志传统圣诞节购物季的开始。）

答案解析

1.D　本题来自文章D段第五句话，出题点在破折号后的解释说明处。题目中的prefers shopping with her sister是原文中happier pairing up的另一种同义表达；题目中的slow和原文中的slow poke属于同义表达。

2.E　本题来自文章E段前两句，题目是对原文的同义转述，原文中的may not ring up as on sale对应题目中的may actually not be on sale。

3.C　本题出自原文C段最后一句话。题目中的buy对应原文中的order；题目中的get对应原文中的pick up。

4.B　本题的信息是B段最后两句的总结。原文提到，作者在浏览促销广告单之前，会先列出她特别需要的商品。最后一句话中又提到她还会根据促销商品的情况来调整购物清单的内容。题目中的looks through对应原文中的browsing through；题目中的may对应文章中的might；题目中的make changes对应原文中的adapt。

5.A　本题的信息来自A段最后一句话。题目中的spend your money more reasonably对应原文中的make it out with your sanity；题目中的the author would like to share对应原文中的I'd like to share。

6.H　本题是H段大意的总结。文章提到，如果你想在黑色星期五买到合适的高清电视的话，那你可能不走运了，因为在那一天很少能看到像电子产品这样的大型商品的促销活动，商店不可能不顾其他大量顾客，而为了那么一丁点儿销售额派专门的销售人员来为你集中提供任何服务。题目中的can't find和原文中的it's rare to see同义；题目中的expensive和原文中的big ticket同义。

7.I　本题是I段第一、二句和最后一句的总结。文中提到，如果你没有买到称心的商品，也不要烦恼，就当你在省钱了。这和题干所说内容一致。

8.G　本题来自文章G段最后两句话。原文中的difference就是指购买商品的价格差，对应题目中的price gap。

9.F　本题来自文章F段第二句话，本句提到一些商品只有很短的退换期，而且可能要顾客交纳退货费用。题干是对此句的同义转述。

10.G　本题来自文章G段第四句话，属于数字考查题型。

Passage Six

文章精要

Jill Price的记忆力非常好，殊不知在别人艳羡的背后，她经受着痛苦的折磨。科学家McGaugh对她的情况进行了研究，至今仍无定论。

答案解析

1.I　本题信息来自文章I段第一句话。文章提到，Price很难记住诗歌或者一连串数字，这可以解释为什么她上学时成绩不突出。题目中的study very well对应原文中的stood out in school；题目中的had difficulties对应原文中的It's difficult；题目中的a battery of对应原文中的series of。

2.L　本题信息来自L段最后一句话。原文中McGaugh提到，除了Price和其他三位记忆巨星外，对于其他的人来说遗忘是拥有成功记忆的一个必要条件；原文中的except in the case of Price and the other three memory superstars暗指了题目中的common people。

3.J　本题信息来自J段四句话和第五句话，出题点在人物的观点处。第四句说，其他三个人似乎都有同Jill相似的惊人的能力，但McGaugh说到，“他们的个性截然不同”。题目中的different personalities是对原文的原词复现。

4.G　本题信息来自文章G段前两句话，出题点在数字处。文章提到，McGaugh第一次要求Price写下1980年到2003年之间复活节的日期时，她只用了十分钟就写下了24个日期，但写错了一个，与正确的日期只差了两天。原文中的got one of the 24 dates wrong意为只写错一个日期，与题目中的just made one mistake为同义表述。

5.C　本题是对文章C段前三句话的总结。第三句中的it's also agonizing是题目中it also causes her some troubles的同义表述。

6.E　本题信息来自文章E段第三句话，出题点在人物的观点处。原文中提到，当Jill告诉McGaugh自己的故事时，McGaugh表示怀疑。题目中的unimaginable是原文中的skeptical的同义表述。

7.D　本题信息来自文章D段倒数第二句话。题目中的became depressed对应原文的grew depressed；题目中的afraid对应原文中的feared；题目中的was wrenched by对应原文中的was hounded by；题目中的going out of her mind对应原文中的going crazy。

8.K　本题是对K段前三句话的总结。文章指出，从神经生物学的角度看，记忆是以大脑神经细胞连接的形式储存起来的，如果某段记忆被回想起来的次数较多，那么相应的连接就越持久，记忆也就越持久。这和题目中的表述基本一致。

9.N　本题信息来自N段最后一句话，出题点在人物的观点处。题目中的Price and the other three subjects对应原文的these four people；题目中的trite是原文中banal的同义表述；题目中的trivial是原文中inconsequential的同义表述；题目中的contradict是原文中violate的同义表述。

10.M　本题信息来自M段最后一句话。文章指出，McGaugh说当记忆与情感联系在一起的时候，记忆就更具体，也更持久，这与题干所说内容一致。

Passage Seven

文章精要

本文主要介绍的是收音机和电视技术的发展。文章首先介绍收音机和电视对20世纪社会变革的重大影响；然后具体阐述了收音机及其副产品电视的发展历程。

答案解析

1.D　本题信息出自D段第三句话。文章提到，1904年，英国的John Ambrose Fleming进一步发明了二极管，它可以使电话接收机探测到电流。题目中More than one hundred years ago对应原文中的In 1904；题目是对原句的同义转述。

2.E　本题信息是对E段第一句话和第二句的总结。文章提到，无线电的发展受阻于一战期间对无线电波的限制。技术的局限性也是一个问题。题目中的obstacle对应原文的problem。

3.C　本题信息出自C段第二句话。文章提到，主要是Guglielmo把无线电波理论带出实验室并应用到实用设备中，题目中的the main person是原文most responsible for的同义表述；原文中的applying them to practical devices对应题目中的applied the theories of radio waves to practical devices。

4.A　本题信息出自A段倒数第三句话。题目由原文中的主动句式变为被动句式，题目中的live对应原文中的play-by-play。

5.F　本题信息出自F段最后一句话。文章提到，20世纪50年代，晶体管的出现完全改变了收音机的尺寸和样式，而且使其便于携带，题目中的appearance对应原文中的advent；题目中的brought thorough changes对应原文中的completely transformed；题目中的outlook对应原文中的its size, style。

6.G　本题信息出自G段第二句话。题目中的Almost a half century是原文Almost 50 years的同义转述；题目中的主句由原文中的被动句式变为主动句式。

7.I　本题信息出自I段倒数第二句话。文章提到，在1950年工程师完善了矩形阴极射线管，每台电视机价格降到200美元。题目中的improved对应原文中的perfected，属于同义表达。

8.K　本题信息出自K段最后一句话。题目中的The problem of bandwidth对应原文中的the present bandwidth restrictions；题目中的can be solved对应原文中的help lift。

9.K　本题信息出自K段首句话。文章提到，如今，电视技术正经历由传统的电视波向光纤传输的离散的数字信号转变的过程。题干是对原文的同义转述。

10.J　本题信息出自J段第一句话。文章提到，对人类视觉的研究使得工程师研发出电视技术，也就是说，电视技术是在人类视觉理论基础上发展起来的。

Passage Eight

文章精要

本文主要介绍了美国对汽油的依赖情况。文章首先介绍了汽油对美国的重要性；然后通过和其他亚欧国家的对比，介绍了美国越来越依赖汽油的原因；最后介绍了美国重视汽车给环境带来的影响以及美国人观念的改变。

答案解析

1.P　本题的信息来自P段第二句话，文章提到，在二氧化碳排放总量中，美国交通行业的排放量占了三分之一。题目中的takes up和原文中的accounts for属于同义词转换。

2.E　本题的信息来自E段第二句话。文章提到，在葡萄牙，每1000人中就有773人有汽车，但是在2004年该国每日消耗汽油不到45000桶，题目中的not more than对应原文中的less than。

3.D　本题的信息来自D段第一句话。文章提到，与像丹麦这样对汽车征收高额购置税以阻止人们驾驶汽车的国家相反，美国很少设置路障来阻止人们的高耗油之旅。题目中的reduce对应原文中的deter。

4.C　本题的信息来自C段第二句。文章提到，这种亲密关系（指对石油的依赖）更像是一个由过去几年政府出台的政策刺激而形成的坏习惯，言外之意也就是政府的政策使美国人对汽油越来越依赖，题目中的A series of对应原文中的a number of；题目中的contributed to对应原文中的spurred on。

5.M　本题的信息来自M段第一句话。文章提到，由于2008年夏天石油价格高涨，美国人做了许多很大的改变来削减他们的燃料消耗，题目中的As a result of对应原文中的Due to；题目中的took great measures对应原文中的made big changes。

6.A　本题的信息来自A段倒数第二句。文章提到，虽然石油能被提炼出各种各样的产品，但是美国人似乎更喜欢汽油，题目中的made from对应原文中的refined into；题目中的petroleum对应原文中的oil；题目中的favorite对应原文中的prefer。

7.K　本题的信息来自K段第一句话。文章提到，欧洲国家、日本和中国已经热切地支持高速铁路这样的可供选择的交通方式，题目中的greatly对应原文中的avidly。

8.G　本题是对G段最后两句话的总结。本段倒数第二句话提到了fuel efficiency standards，而最后一句中的those standards指的就是fuel efficiency standards。由此可知题目中的表达是对原文的同义转述。

9.O　本题的信息来自O段第一句话，题目出现了多处同义词转换。题目中的It seems对应原文中的seems to；题目中的impact对应原文中的whammy；原文中的more than just scale back their driving变换了一种说法，即题目中的reduce their driving。

10.J　本题的信息来自J段第一句话。题目中的provide funds对应原文中的fund；题目中的enough对应原文中的adequately。

Passage Nine

文章精要

谷歌一直被认为是发展最快的公司，但目前谷歌也面临了两大危机，一是要应对政府监管部门的垄断调查，二是寻找新的盈利增长点。虽然谷歌面临这两大危机，但并不意味着谷歌的时代结束了，因为谷歌收入依然在增长，广告收入依然强劲，而且谷歌已经研发了手机操作系统，为未来铺垫了基石。

答案解析

1.F　根据题干信息词failing to find new sources of growth定位到F段首句。原文提到：谷歌投资人最大的担心是谷歌会面临跟微软一样的结局，不能找到新的收入来源，题干的are most concerned同义转述原文中的biggest worry，题干用follows Microsoft's disastrous road转述了原文中的end up like Microsoft。

2.C　根据题干信息词considerable network companies定位到C段。原文提到：谷歌花大价钱收购几家大公司，接着举例介绍谷歌曾收购了YouTube，DoubleClick，Groupon等，与题干表述一致。splash out on意为“花大笔钱”，题干用spent a huge sum of money对其进行了同义替换；题目中的considerable同义转述了原文中的sizeable，意为“相当大的”。

3.E　根据题干信息词Search-related advertising定位到E段。原文提到：谷歌仍然高度依赖search-related advertising，去年这几乎占据了谷歌的全部收入，也就是说与搜索相关的广告收入依然是谷歌的主要收入来源。

4.M　根据题干信息词operating systems定位到M段。原文提到：谷歌的安卓系统让其他电信公司和手机制造商免费使用，下文接着提到微软为自己的操作系统收费，与题干表述一致。原文的for nothing就是free的意思。

5.B　根据题干信息词online search and e-mail定位到B段末句。原文提到：谷歌就像大蜘蛛一样，将腿触及到一切，包括在线搜索和电子邮件，以及社交网络及软件应用，与题干表述一致。

6.I　根据题干信息词top talents定位到I段。原文提到：谷歌有很多高管相继离开，抱怨公司的效率慢等，这些都可推断出谷歌在未来吸引并留住高端人才至关重要。

7.G　根据题干信息词traffic定位到G段。原文提到：人们在线获取信息的方式增多了，其中包括社交网络，如Facebook，今年早些时候登录Facebook的人数超过了登陆谷歌的人数，与题干表述一致。题目中的has outnumbered同义转述了原文中的surpass，意为“（数量）超过”。

8.H　根据题干信息词data定位到H段。原文提到：Facebook正在积累用户的信息，使用户不再接触谷歌搜索，因此谷歌公司警告潜在用户这些社交网络正成为信息终端，积累用户的信息。题干表述与原文相符。

9.K　根据题干信息词raw materials定位到K段。原文提到：网络数据的快速增长为谷歌提供了大量的源数据资料，接着以YouTube为例对此进行了说明，然后指出：这表明一般目的的搜索引擎可能仍然有重大作用，与题干表述一致。

10.D　根据题干信息词government regulatory bodies定位到D段。原文提到：谷歌要面临的第一个问题就是要安抚政府管理机构，下面通过列举欧洲和美国的某些政府机构对谷歌展开调查的例子进行了阐述，说明谷歌要安抚政府机构，对付他们的调查，与题干表述一致。题干中的pacify与原文中的placating属于同义转述。

Passage Ten

文章精要

本文主要介绍了从经济大萧条中学到的应对当前经济低迷的几个技巧。文章首段引出主题：尽管现在经济低迷，但作者并不主张采取过激的措施，而是主张从经历的那些兴衰中学习一些东西；然后从食品、娱乐、交通和住房等方面具体阐述了我们可以从经济大萧条中借鉴的技巧。

答案解析

1.D　本题信息来自D段的第一句话。文章提到，在大萧条时期流行搭车，题干把Hitchhiking同义转述为traveling by getting rides from passing vehicles without paying，题目中的popular和原文的prevalent属于同义转述。

2.E　本题信息来自E段的第三句话。题目中的giving up对应原文中的sacrifice；题目中的save us from economic woes对应原文中的get back on track financially。

3.C　本题信息来自C段第三句话。文章提到，在20世纪30年代，诸如“大富翁”这样的游戏很受欢迎，因为它们带给人们希望以及对更好生活的向往，题目中的the Great Depression时期就是在20世纪30年代；题目中的liked to是原文中became popular的另一种说法；题目中的offered是原文中gave的同义词替换；题目中的a better life yearning for the future对应原文中的dream of a better life。

4.A　本题信息来自A段。原文提到：我们不需要对目前的经济下滑采用老辈们的那些极端的对策，但我们仍可以向他们学习，与题干表述一致，题干中的undesirable同义转述了原文中的doesn't yet call for。

5.D　本题信息来自D段的最后一句话。题目中的In essence是原文Essentially的同义词替换；题干中的challenging对应原文中的defying；题目中的common practice即是原文中的convention；题目中的a lot of对应原文中的a hefty sum of；题目中的relatively是原词复现；题目中的short period of time对应原文的short amount of time。

6.B　本题信息是对B段两句话的总结。该段第一句话提到种植自己的食物，第二句提到了种植食物的地点，即community garden。题目中的be economical对应原文中的save a lot of money；题目中的afford是原文中provide的同义词替换。

7.G　本题信息来自G段的最后一句话，出题点在建议处。本段第三句提到，从长远看来，负债只会对你不利。下一句由Instead引出了其建议，即不要去负担自己不能负担的债务。题干意为，为避免陷入债务中，应该重新考虑自己能够负担的以及需要的东西，这与原文意思相符。

8.H　本题信息来自H段的第四句话，出题点在举例处。文章提到，如果你即将面临透支的问题，就需要建立一个不会透支的屏障。故题目中表建议的It is better to...和原文句子相对应；题目中的constitute对应原文中的establish。

9.I　本题是对I段的总结。该段的第一句话从经历了20世纪30年代大萧条的祖父母和曾祖父母的情况说起，接着对比了如今的情况，提到我们有各种账单、新型的债务以及每月都要缴纳的款项需要记录。题目中的kinds of对应原文中的types of；题目中的record对应原文中的keep track of。

10.F　本题信息来自F段的第三句话。文章提到，如果你在找工作，你可能会考虑找一份薪金略低于理想水平但最有发展潜力的工作，由此可知，作者建议找工作的人应该找工资比预期稍低但更有发展潜力的工作，题目中的lower salary对应原文中的slightly below your ideal salary；原文中也提到potential一词。