B.their ambition to doubt great ancestors

C.theirrevolutionary way of acquiring knowledge

D.their preference to believe in themselves rather than others

47.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.To help the readers learn more about great thinkers in history.

B.To convince the readers of the importance of thinking and discovering.

C.To persuade the readers to thank the great men of the past for their wisdom.

D.To encourage the readers to go against the views of their day.

48.Which of the following is the process the writer suggests to acquire knowledge?

A.asking questions→searching the Internet→ waiting the results→ finding answers

B.acquiring knowledge and understanding→ asking questions→ answering question

C.observing the world→ asking questions→ studying facts→ finding answers→ considering possibilities

D.asking questions→ observing the world→ studying facts→ considering possibilities→ testing and finding answers

( C )

Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED Preparation

Task:

The Adult Basic Education Department serves a huge population of learners. Our task is to teach basic skills and help learners to get more knowledge to function effectively as a family member, citizen, worker, and lifelong learner in a changing world.

Description:

ABE is a non-credit program of self-improvement designed to improve basic skills for students who are of different educational level. Development of reading, writing, and math skills are paid special attention to, as well as life skills, employability and technology. Students without a high school diploma(文凭)also have the opportunity to prepare for the GED exams in the five subject areas writing, social studies, science, literature, and math.

Prerequisites (条件):

ABE classes are open to anyone 18 or over who desires to improve basic reading, writing, and math skills at the pre-college level. Students who are 16 or 17 must first obtain an official release( 证书) from high school before attending class.

To be accepted, students must attend an Educational Planning Session. During the Educational Planning Session students will be given an overview of the ABE programs as well as PCC policies, fees, etc. Students will also have their reading, writing, and math abilities assessed (评估) during the Educational Planning Session The results of their assessment will help the teachers develop individual programs of study for students to guide them toward their personal goals. Students needing special help must get in touch with the Office for Students with Disabilities (503-977-4341) at least two weeks before the session is held.

Courses:

49. The ABE Department serves an aim to___________.

A. provide learners with basic knowledge and skills to fit in with society

B. help learners successfully get a job in a changing world

C. offer diplomas to those who fail to finish secondary education

D. provide students with opportunities to prepare for the GED exams

50. A 17-year-old is likely to be accepted to ABE classes when _____________.

A. he has enough money

B. he is good at reading and writing

C. he has left school with official permission

D. he has reviewed all the programs

51. What is the Educational Planning Session intended for?

A. Providing special help to disabled students.

B. Helping students be better at the four basic skills.

C. Finding out whether they can be accepted to ABE classes.

D. An assessment of students' basic skill levels.

52. Different courses are offered to different students according to ___________.

A. their own choices

B. the assessments during the Educational Planning Session

C. their performances in school

D. how much they pay for the courses

( D )

The night was soft and warm as I lay on our living-room sofa, gazing at the ceiling. I was thinking of the hospital. We had gone there that afternoon to visit my father for Valentine’s Day. Daddy was in a high bed that was folded in half some way. He looked alright to me. I didn’t know why he kept going to that place anyway.

I sat as quietly as possible. My trouble was that I wanted to hug him and I was afraid of what Mama would say if I climbed up on his bed to do it. I didn’t know why she would mind—I only knew she would. Sometimes she said I was too rough. But I was such a little girl and Daddy was so big…how could I hurt him? I thought there must be some other reasons why he couldn’t play with me like he used to. Maybe he was too tired.

My parents talked for a long time while I 1ooked out of the window and played with my brother and sister. I didn’t like that place and I wanted to go. There didn’t seem to be anything to do there. Then，all at once，we were leaving. Daddy called me to his bedside and told me to be sure to say my prayers. I said I would and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Then I was glad to leave that building. The people in there were sick…except，of course，my Daddy. He was not sick at a11.

As I settled comfortably into the depths of the sofa，deep in thought. I was startled by the shrill sound of the telephone. That made me angry---now Mama would get up and find I was not sleeping yet. Why did somebody have to call then anyway?

Just as I had suspected，Mama appeared. Mama spoke for only a few minutes，asking questions like “when?” and “how?” She shook me then and told me to go into my own room. I knew it---the telephone call would ruin everything. Then she woke my oldest sister. In a few seconds the whole house was buzzing with some sort of news. “At eleven o’clock.” “…it had to happen sometime…” “…too young to be dead.” I heard these phrases，but I couldn’t put together their meaning.

Mama came then and told me he was dead. My Daddy was dead? No! No! No! It was not true. He couldn’t be dead. He was alive-he had kissed me only that afternoon. People didn’t die just like that! It was not like stepping on a fly…people took years to die…they only died when they were old…very old with gray hair and wrinkles and stooped bodies. Young people don’t die. Not people I knew…not anyone I 1oved.Not my father! He was mine and no one could take my father away from me. He would 1ive forever.

I hated that person who called. It was not true and that was a horrible thing to say. It was not funny. It scared me. Mama believed it，though. She shouldn’t. If she only 1istened to me, I’d tell her the truth…IT ISN’T TRUE…IT ISN’T!

Just wait—next time Daddy came home I’d tell him about the person who called. He’d laugh and say Mama shouldn’t have taken it seriously. After a11, that couldn’t happen. He was not even sick.

And do you know what else would happen when Daddy came home the next time? I would jump on his lap and hug him until he couldn’t even breathe! And he wouldn’t mind—because that’s what daddies were for.

53.The little girl’s mother would not let her hug her father because .

A. she was not allowed to do that in the hospital

B. she might upset her father

C. he was too sleepy to do that.

D. her father was so sick that her roughness might hurt him

54. When Mama answered the telephone she told the child to go to her own room because .

A. the child was disturbing her

B. Mama did not want the child to hear the conversation

C. the child was so young that she might misunderstand the conversation

D. Mama was angry that the child was still awake

55.The child’s immediate reaction to the news of her father’s death was that of .

A. anger B. despair C. disappointment D. disbelief

56.The best title of the story might be .

A. My Daddy and Me B. Daddy Would Come Home Again

C. Don’t Wait to Give Daddy a Hug D. My Daddy Would Live Forever

( E )

In a natural disaster—a hurricane, flood, volcanic eruption, or other catastrophes—minutes and even seconds of warning can make the difference between life and death.Because of this, scientists are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen.They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained.

On September 29, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi, after damaging Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and several islands of the Caribbean badly with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km per hour.Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States, although hundreds died in the Caribbean.

This was a very different outcome from 1900, when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston, Texas, killing at least 6,000 people.

Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century——residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching, while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance, allowing for extensive safety precautions(预防).

At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning, some residents of New Orleans, Louisiana were less satisfied.A day before Georges made landfall, forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans.Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level, the city is at risk for flooding.Emergency management officials must begin evacuations(疏散)well before a storm strikes.But evacuation costs money: businesses close, tourists leave, and citizens take precautionary measures.The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city' s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million.After Georges missed New Orleans, some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs.