After years of shrinking benefits and increasing fees, frequent-flier programs are courting their most loyal customers again. In recent weeks, American Airlines introduced new awards for one-way flights; United dropped its .200175 fees for booking an award within three weeks of travel; and Delta Air Lines made it easier for frequent fliers to retain their VIP status. Carriers have also been suspending mileage (里程) offers, including double-mile promotions, and have even granted bonuses for booking online. Those who follow the programs describe the changes as a slight shift in a more consumer-friendly direction, giving customers more ways to earn miles. "What we're seeing is a bit of resurgence (复苏) on the airlines' part in focusing on their frequent-flier programs," said Tim Winship, who tracks loyalty programs for But he added that the issue members care about most—being able to use their miles for free tickets—remains a challenge , especially with planes flying nearly full. Randy Petersen, founder of the frequent-flier sites and , said 2008 was a record year for award redemption (兑现), which he attributed to travelers using miles for more common trips, like visits to relatives in foreign countries. "In a good economy , everyone wants to use their miles to go to Hawaii, London or San Francisco," he said. "But when the recession hit, award redemption really started to spread out because people were using their miles not as much for vacation as necessary travel. There have also been changes in financial regulations that require airlines to account for unused frequent-flier miles as a responsibility, which has motivated carriers to make awards easier to obtain.A) attributedB) challengeC) describeD) earnE) easierF) economyG) includingH) introducedI) justifiedJ) legislationK) motivatedL) necessaryM) nourishN) sustainableO) temptation

I’m Carl Azuz, and it’s my privilege to welcome you to 10 minutes of current events.We’re starting with a new education law in the U.S. that could have an impact on 55 million grade school students. President Obama signed it into law yesterday after it gathered bipartisan support in Congress. The law is called the Every Student Succeeds Act and it will replace the controversial No Child Left Behind law that was passed in 2002.What will stay the same according to the new law? The act still requires mandatory testing and it also places an emphasis on test scores to indicate groups of students who are failing.What will change then? Power will return to states to decide what to do about schools with failing or underperforming students.The president of the American Federation of Teachers referred to the new law as a course correction, saying it moves toward a policy where states have more authority and power in educating children.Critics are concerned that without the government overseeing them, states may be less willing to fix failing schools.1.What did President Obama do yesterday according to the news report?A) He passed a new education law.B) He proposed to correct school courses.C) He gathered support from students.D) He decided to fix those failing schools.2.What changes will the new policy bring?A) It will make every student succeed.B) It will expel those failing students.C) It will give state schools more power.D) It will reform the testing system.3.What do critics think of the government’s decision?A) State governments will not enforce the new law.B) The new law will be overlooked by state schools.C) The new law will be unfair to underperforming students.D) State governments will probably not fix failing schools.

SECTION 4 Questions 31-40Complete the notes below.Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.Marinrenewable energy (ocean energy)IntroductionMore energy required because of growth in population and 31.____.What's needed:• renewable energy sourcesmethods that won't create pollutionWave energyAdvantage: waves provide a 32.____source of renewable energyElectricity can be generated using offshore or onshore systemsOnshore systems may use a reservoirProblems:• waves can move in any 33.____movement of sand, etc. on the 34.____of the ocean may be affectedTidal energyTides are more 35.____than wavesPlanned tidal lagoon in Wales:• will be created in a 36.____at Swanseabreakwater (dam) containing 16 turbinesrising tide forces water through turbines, generating electricitystored water is released through 37.____driving the turbines in the reverse directionAdvantages:• not dependent on weatherno 38.____is required to make it worklikely to create a number of 39.____Problem:• may harm fish and birds, e.g. by affecting 40.____and building up siltOcean thermal energy conversionUses a difference in temperature between the surface and the underwater level Water brought to the surface in a pipe

According to the passage, in women’ s schools______.A. women are much freer than if they study at the same school with menB. women could do anything they wantC. they teach things peculiar to womenD. men are hated widely

Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero? Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people. A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame. Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people. The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant? Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated (隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless. 【小题1】Although heroes may come from different cultures, they __________. A．generally possess certain inspiring characteristics B．probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people C．are often influenced by previous generations D．all unknowingly attract a large number of fans 【小题2】 According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that _______. A．they have a vision from the mountaintop B．they have warm feelings and emotions C．they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles D．they can make people feel stronger and more confident 【小题3】Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because __________. A．they are popular only among certain groups of people B．their performances do not improve their fans morally C．their primary concern is their own financial interests D．they are not clear about the principles they should follow 【小题4】The author concludes that historical changes would __________. A．be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities B．not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices C．take place if there were heroes to lead the people D．produce leaders with attractive personalities

二、结合上下文,根据语法规则在空格处填入适当的词汇。-|||-Robot,it is a word that seems very modern,a word that creates a strong mental-|||-picture,a picture of something(1) __ looks and acts like a human.Robots are not-|||-humans,of course,they are machines.-|||-The word robot,and robots themselves,are less than 100 years old.But humans-|||-(2) __ (dream)of real and imaginary copies of themselves for thousands of years.-|||-Early people made little human statues out of clay.And they cut wood and stone-|||-(3) __ (look)like humans.-|||-What is the future of robots?The goal of scientists is(4) __ (create)a true-|||-human-like robot.Some experts have described this robot of the future (5) __ one-|||-that can act independently with the physical world through its own senses and actions.-|||-Humans have the ability to see,hear,speak and solve problems. Engineers have built-|||-robots that have one or two of these abilities.But it takes a number of big expensive-|||-computers (6) __ (make) the robots work.-|||-The(7) __ (big)problem in creating a human-like robot is copying human-|||-intelligence. The way the human mind works is almost impossible to copy.A simple-|||-computer (8) __ do mathematical problems far beyond the ability of even the-|||-smartest human mind.But the human mind is better than a thousand supercomputers-|||-(9) __ speaking, hearing andproblem-solving. Several American and Japanese-|||-companies are working (10) __ (develop)the senses of sight and touch for robots.-|||-The development of these senses will make robots much more useful.-|||-However,the most important human ability -the most difficult to copy - is-|||-promem-somen an methern gro mot must be able to change the way it acts-|||-(11) __ it faces an unexpected sination. Huma do it all the time. Computers-|||-must do it for robots. This means computers must have a huge base of information about-|||-many things. They must be able to find quickly the(12) __ (need)information in-|||-their systems. And they must make choices about how to act. So far,this is beyond the-|||-ability of computers.

A new batch of young women—members of the so-called Millennial(千禧的)generation—has been entering the workforce for the past decade. At the starting line of their careers, they are better educated than their mothers and grandmothers had been—or than their young male counterparts are now. But when they look ahead, they see roadblocks to their success. They believe that women are paid less than men for doing the same job. They think it's easier for men to get top executive jobs than it is for them. And they assume that if and when they have children, it will be even harder for them to advance in their careers.While the public sees greater workplace equality between men and women now than it did 20-30 years ago, most believe more change is needed. Among Millennial women, 75% say this country needs to continue making changes to achieve gender equality in the workplace, compared with 57% of Millennial men. Even so, relatively few young women(15%)say they have been discriminated against at work because of their gender.As Millennial women come of age they share many of the same views and values about work as their male counterparts. They want jobs that provide security and flexibility, and they place relatively little importance on high pay. At the same time, however, young working women are less likely than men to aim at top management jobs: 34% say they're not interested in becoming a boss or top manager; only 24% of young men say the same. The gender gap on this question is even wider among working adults in their 30s and 40s, when many women face the trade-offs that go with work and motherhood.These findings are based on a new Pew Research Center survey of 2,002 adults, including 810 Millennials(ages 18-32), conducted Oct. 7-27, 2013. The survey finds that, in spite of the dramatic gains women have made in educational attainment and labor force participation in recent decades, young women view this as a man's world—just as middle-aged and older women do.What do we learn from the first paragraph about Millennial women starting their careers?A.They can get ahead only by striving harder.B.They expect to succeed just like Millennial men.C.They are generally quite optimistic about their future.D.They are better educated than their male counterparts.How do most Millennial women feel about their treatment in the workplace?A.They are the target of discrimination.B.They find it satisfactory on the whole.C.They think it needs further improving.D.They find their complaints ignored.What do Millennial women value most when coming of age?A.A sense of accomplishment.B.Job stability and flexibility.C.Rewards and promotions.D.Joy derived from work.What are women in their 30s and 40s concerned about?A.The welfare of their children.B.The narrowing of the gender gap.C.The fulfillment of their dreams in life.D.The balance between work and family.What conclusion can be drawn about Millennial women from the 2013 survey?A.They still view this world as one dominated by males.B.They account for half the workforce in the job market.C.They see the world differently from older generations.D.They do better in work than their male counterparts.

In the town of Marmet, which is just south of Charleston, residents line upin their cars for free bottled water. Schools and most restaurants and businessesremain closed.Marmet’s Fire Chief Jerry McGhee says responding to the wateremergency has brought out the best in the community.The crisis began when a chemical known as MCHM, used to clean uselesssubstances from coal, leaked from a storage tank owned by a company calledFreedom Industries. The chemical got into the Elk River, which suppliesdrinking water to the region. Residents say the contaminated water smells likelicorice. Officials warned people not to drink it, or even wash with it.Dustin White with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and otherenvironmentalists are critical of what they say is the lack of regulation of thepowerful chemical and coal industries in West Virginia. But for now they arefocusing on the crisis at hand, bringing water to rural areas.1.What is urgently needed in the town of Marmet now?A) Thick clothes.B) Gas and coal.C) Drinking water. D) Storage tank.2.What can we learn from the news?A) Jerry McGhee is the chief of Freedom Industries.B) A chemical contaminated water in the Elk River.C) People can still wash with water in the Elk River.D) The rural areas have an adequate supply of water.

翻译 近年来，中国有越来越多的城市开始建设地铁。发展地铁有助于减少城市的交通拥堵和空气污染。地铁具有安全、快捷和舒适的优点。越来越多的人选择地铁作为每天上班或上学的主要交通工具。如今，在中国乘坐地铁正变得越来越方便。在城市里，乘客只需要卡和手机就可以乘坐地铁。许多当地老年市民还可以免费乘坐地铁。