II. Grammar and Vocabulary
Section A

Directions: Beneath each of the following sentences there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence.

25. If you want your children to be independent, put some responsibilities ______ their shoulders.
A. by B. over C. on D. beyond

26. Various summer camps being available, we can choose ______ based on our own interest.
A. either B. each C. one D. it

27. People are now seeking effective ways of using ______energy to create the greatest benefit.
A. little B. fewer C. less D. the least

28. --- May I smoke here, Smith?
--- If you _______, choose a seat in the smoking section.
A. should B. could C. must D. may

29. All school buses in the northwestern provinces ______ with satellite positioning devices next year.
A. will be fitted B. fitted C. have been fitted D. are fitted

30. Space exploration began in the 1960s, and since then about five hundred people _______ into space.
A. are traveling B. traveled C. had traveled D. have traveled

31. ______ the burden of carrying heavy school bags, some schools introduced iBooks a few weeks ago.
A. Eliminating B. Eliminated C. To eliminate D. Having eliminated

32. ______ in a top-level university abroad is what many students wish for.
A. Educated B. Being educated C. To educate D. Educating

33. Judging from the date _______ on the gold coin, we can tell that it was made 500 years ago.
A. being marked B. marked C. to mark D. to be marked

34. ______ a little money from her pocket money, Alice was able to buy her mother a lovely scarf.
A. To save B. Saving C. Saved D. Having saved

35. The manager will put ______ he thinks has a strong sense of duty in the leadership position.
A. anyone  B. whoever C. whomever D. who

36. Wise people have focused the process rather than the result as it is in the process ______ we learn and grow.
A. where B. in which C. that D. from which

37. Now it’s been possible for us to be taken into “space”, ______ we can experience weightlessness for a short time.
A. which B. when C. where D. that

38. Evidence has been piled up ______ drinking water before breakfast is good for our health.
A. what B. which C. if D. that

39. ______ you’ve tried it, you can’t imagine how tasty the fish I cooked is.
A. Because B. Unless C. Although D. So long as

40. It has come to be realized ______ particular matters in the air expose us to life’s real danger.
A. what B. which C. when D. that

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

A. poisoned B. destruction C. survived D. increased E. especially
F. chemicals G. concern H. decline I. occasionally J. sensitive

More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians(两栖动物) are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land. And they have been around for over 350 million years. They have ___41___ three mass extinctions, including the extinction of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

The most serious aspect of amphibian loss, however, goes beyond the amphibians themselves. Scientists are beginning to think about what amphibian ___42___ means for the planet as a whole. If the earth is becoming unlivable for amphibians, is it also becoming unlivable for other kinds of animals and human beings as well?

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is the ___43___ of habitat, the natural area where an animal lives. Amphibians are very ___44___ to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs.

There are a number of other factors in amphibian decline. Pollution is one of them. In many industrial areas, air pollution has ___45___ the rain, which then falls on ponds and kills the frogs that live there. In farming areas, the heavy use of ___46___ on crops has also killed off amphibians. Another factor is that air pollution has led to ___47___ levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. This endangers amphibians, which seem to be ___48___ sensitive to UV light.

All these reasons for the disappearance of amphibians are also good reasons for more general ___49___ . These factors affect human beings, too.  

III. Reading Comprehension
Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

We must face the fact that there are many aspects of the information age. All information makes us anxious. Over some of these, we have little or no control. On the other hand, there are steps we can take to eliminate much of___50___ . We might say, then, that survival in the information age is a challenging yet___51___ task.

To some extent, we are all receivers and givers of information. Our brain, however, receives and processes information in different ways. One way involves the amazing capacity of the brain to process information subconsciously.

Another way involves ___52___ processing of information such as during conversation. We have a great deal of control over this type of information processing --- both as givers and receivers. If we indulge (任凭) ourselves talking about tiny things or even harmful information, valuable time and___53___ can be wasted. Meanwhile this can make us and others anxious. You may lose opportunities to absorb and distribute information that is truly useful for___54___ in this troubled world.

Information gathered by reading is processed consciously and___55___ takes longest. The written word is still the most powerful way of___56___ imagination and conveying information, ideas, and concept.
How can we___57___ so much information from various sources, such as reading material, TV program, computer games, and other 58 activities? The answer is screening. Screening, sorting out or prioritizing what we need to hear, see, say or read may___59___ much information anxiety.

To cut through confusing information,___60___ this basic rule: Keep it simple! The secret to processing information is narrowing your___61___ of information. Simplicity is___62___ in many Asian cultures and is even recognized in Western cultures as a superior way of living. Writer Duane Elgin___63___ , “To live more simply is to live more purposefully and with a___64___ of needless distraction.”

50. A. anxiety B. trouble C. interest D. curiosity

51. A. donating B. accomplishing C. rewarding D. searching

52. A. sensitive B. conscious C. unconscious D. reasonable

53. A. health B. wealth C. power D. energy

54. A. expanding B. surviving C. stretching D. bearing

55. A. hence B. however C. still D. yet

56. A. cooperating B. finding C. stimulating D. removing

57. A. think of B. deal with C. do with D. rule over

58. A. considerate B. professional C. humorous D. recreational

59. A. get rid of B. bring about C. break into D. come to

60. A. catch B. apply C. abandon D. offer

61. A. rank B. limit C. field D. lane

62. A. received B. supplied C. labeled D. recommended

63. A. opposed B. stated C. declined D. offered

64. A. minimum B. maximum C. quantity D. presence