For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider this a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue，the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk? the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally (水平地)，and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical (垂直的)columns.
If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience^one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we’re hanging from a cable in a long passage.
In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it”， Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.
Today，as the world’s urban population explodes，and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America’s total number of elevators—900,000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine’s “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”一are a force that’s becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.
小題1:What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A．The general view of elevators.
B．The particular interests of experts.
C．The desire for a remarkable machine.
D．The enthusiasm for transport vehicles.
小題2:The author’s purpose in mentioning cars is   .
A．to contrast their functions with elevators,
B．to emphasize the importance of elevators
C．to reveal their secret war against elevators
D．to explain people’s preference for elevators
小題3:According to Prof. Bernard, what has made the elevator ride different from other life experiences?
A．Vertical direction.
B．Lack of excitement.
C．Little physical space.
D．Uncomfortable conditions.
小題4:The author urges readers to consider  .
A．the exact number of elevator lovers
B．the serious future situation of elevators
C．the role of elevators in city development
D．the relationship between cars and elevators

小題1:A
小題2:B
小題3:C
小題4:C

【文章大意】這是一篇夾敘夾議的議論文。文章主要闡述對于電梯所持有的不同態(tài)度與觀點，并表達了自己對于電梯的態(tài)度。
小題1:A考查判斷推理。根據(jù)劃線內(nèi)容推斷應該指代的是文章第一段的“For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles ”即大眾對于電梯的看法，故A正確。
小題2:B考查判斷推理。根據(jù)文章第一段“In that sense, they argue，the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars.”作者通過提及汽車來更好的闡述觀點即電梯的重要性，故B正確。
小題3:C考查判斷推理。 根據(jù)文章第三段“ “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.”可知是因為電梯的關(guān)閉給人帶來了不愉悅，也就是電梯的空間帶來的問題，故C正確。
小題4:C考查細節(jié)理解。根據(jù)文章最后一段“it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.”可知作者的寫作用意在于讓讀者去評價電梯的價值所在，故C正確。
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A．Because she wanted to win in all games.
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B．Allison was as fast as a rocket.
C．Allison didn't treat her as a best friend
D．Allison moved too slowly in the game.
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A．get rid of Allison as a partner
B．a(chǎn)pologize for calling Allison a statue
C．tell Allison there was no game tomorrow
D．encourage Allison to fight in the next game
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C．find out Why the game was cancelled
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A．Many students are absent from class.
B．Students are very tired on Monday mornings.
C．Students do not adjust their sleep patterns well.
D．Students are not well prepared for class on Mondays.
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B．Students don't sleep well because of alerting systems.
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D．Adolescents' delayed sleep/wake cycle isn't the preferred pattern.
小題3:Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "classified"?
A．Criticised.B．Grouped. C．Organised.D．Named.
小題4:What docs the text mainly talk about?
A．Functions of the body clock.
B．The "night owl" phenomenon.
C．Human beings' sleep behaviour.
D．The school schedule of "early birds".

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These days, many young people in Ho Chi Minh City(胡志明市), Vietnam, are taking gymnastics, dancing or yoga classes after work. Actually, there are many　　why young people are taking exercise classes and going to the gym, instead of shopping and entertaining friends　　work.
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If more people　　rush hour by exercising or taking classes　　the rush hour, traffic jams may be　　. This is a clever　　that can also help people improve their health and meet others with similar　　.
小題1:
A．reasons　B．reactions　C．a(chǎn)ctions　D．a(chǎn)ctivities
小題2:
A．out ofB．a(chǎn)fterC．exceptD．a(chǎn)t
小題3:
A．out B．a(chǎn)way C．offD．busy
小題4:
A．manage B．decideC．tryD．refuse
小題5:
A．lostB．thrownC．stuckD．put
小題6:
A．breathingB．giving
C．growingD．breaking
小題7:
A．keep up withB．keep away from
C．keep in touch withD．keep on
小題8:
A．surprisinglyB．interestingly
C．importantlyD．fortunately
小題9:
A．goodB．serious
C．comfortableD．convenient
小題10:
A．improvesB．reduces
C．worsensD．shortens
小題11:
A．dugB．pickedC．putD．given
小題12:
A．rising B．raisingC．providingD．offering
小題13:
A．letB．strikeC．causeD．influence
小題14:
A．a(chǎn)ffordingB．preventing
C．protectingD．a(chǎn)ffecting
小題15:
A．limitingB．benefiting
C．predictingD．promising
小題16:
A．a(chǎn)voidB．a(chǎn)dmitC．a(chǎn)ttractD．a(chǎn)ttend
小題17:
A．forB．duringC．with D．a(chǎn)t
小題18:
A．increased B．reduced
C．stoppedD．replaced
小題19:
A．solutionB．search
C．pollutionD．a(chǎn)dvice
小題20:
A．jobsB．friends
C．equipmentD．interests

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