Part I Writing

　　Overseas Study at an Early Age

　　Nowadays, more and more parents are eager to send their children to study abroad before they finish high school by whatever means and at whatever cost.

　　It is quite understandable for parents to send their children to study overseas because they place high expectations on their children. They are encouraged by the success stories of those who have completed their overseas study. With the development of economy, companies and institutions at home are giving more and more emphasis on overseas experiences, too.

　　Consequently, pursuing overseas study has become a kind of short cut in gaining a better future. Moreover, there is still one underlying reason for this rush-economic reason. The rapid economic progress in the past few years in China has enabled more and more parents to afford the huge cost for their children’s overseas study.

　　As for me, overseas study is surely a helpful way to get both advanced knowledge and necessary experiences, but overseas study at an early age is neither necessary nor beneficial. The students may be too young to either tend for themselves or think for themselves. I do think that overseas study can contribute to one’s self-improvement, but it’s better to be pursued after one has finished his college study at home, when he is more capable of learning and living on his own .

　　Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning).

　　1. Y 根据题干中的信息词bird flu和major cities定位到第一个小标题下的第一段，可知作者认为主要城市还会遭受袭击，因为有很多灾难可能发生，包括禽流感、大地震、暴风雨、恐怖袭击等，再结合全文可知，本文是针对美国城市展开的，故该句表述正确。

　　2. NG 根据题干中的信息词assessment和high-risk urban areas定位到第一个小标题下的第三段，可知作者等人对l0个高危城市地区进行了独立评估，主要针对的是安全指数，但文章并没有说明受评估的l0个城市地区是否涵盖了美国所有的高危城市。

　　3. Y 根据题干中的信息词policemen和first responders定位到第二个小标题下的第一段，可知括号中的内容是对first responders的解释说明，即警察、消防员和急诊医士( EMTs) 等都是first responders，故该句表述正确。

　　4. N 根据题干中的信息词search-and-rescue task force和made up of定位到第二个小标题下的第二段，可知联邦城市搜救特遣部队都是由DHS扶持的，每支特遣部队都由62名队员、4只狗和各种仪器组成，故该句表述错误。

　　5. handle the supplies。根据题干中的信息词CDC's“green status”和local health teams定位到第二个小标题下第三段的最后，可知如果你所在的城市获得了green status那是最好不过了，因为那意味着地方医疗队可以自己应对补给问题，由此可得答案。

　　6. security fears。根据题干中的信息词evacuation details和Las Vegas定位到第二个小标题下的倒数第二段，可知拉斯维加斯等城市出于安全考虑，不在网站上公布疏散细节，但当你有需要时，网站可以提供电话号码等可以迅速获得疏散的方式。

　　7. decades-old radio systems。根据题干中的信息词incompatible communications和converted定位到第三个小标题下的第一段，可知通信不畅是全国(美国)性的问题，而修整或更换已使用数十年的无线电系统既费时又费钱，由此推断，通信不畅的原因是无线电系统年久失修，因此可得答案。

　　8. “E911”/“enhanced 911”。根据题干中的信息词precise location和GPS systems定位到第三个小标题下的第二段，可知E911使得处理紧急事故者可以通过全球定位系统确定打手机者的准确位置，由此可得答案。

　　9. enough spare beds。根据题干中的信息词preparedness experts、500和100，000定位到最后一个小标题下的第一段，可知预备专家指出，一个城市只有每10万人拥有500张病床，才能在紧急事故中找到足够多的空床位，由此可得答案。

　　10. federal assistance。根据题干中的信息词Metropolitan Medical Response System和developing plans定位到最后一个小标题下第二段的最后，可知一个城市如果属于DHS的城市医疗应对系统，就可以得到联邦政府在发展计划上的援助，还可以得到重要的培训和设备，由此可得答案。

　　Part IV Reading Comprehension ( Reading in Depth)

　　Section A

　　47. Icebox.

　　文章从头到尾都在讲icebox是如何产生的、其工作原理和优点，可见icebox是这篇文章的中心。

　　48. In refrigerating freight cars and households.

　　题目询问在内战后冰被用在哪些地方。根据题干关键词Civil War可以定位至文章第一段第四句话，由…ice was used to refrigerate freight cars…into household use可知问题的答案。

　　49. Knowledge of the physics of heat.

　　由题干关键词a science of refrigeration定位到原文第二段第二句话，….the knowledge of the physics of heat，which was essential to a science of refrigeration直接给出了问题的答案。

　　50. the melting of ice performed cooling

　　题目询问冰盒的理论原理是什么。可以定位到文章第二段的第三句话，….for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling，此句大意说当时人们以为阻碍冰融化才能有效制冷，但实际上这是错误的观点，因为只有在冰的融化过程中才能有效制冷。可见冰盒的理论原理就是the melting of ice performed cooling。

　　51. they wanted to keep their produce cool

　　由题干关键词farmers had to go to the market at night定位至原文最后一句话…was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool，大意是有了冰盒，他们不用再为了保证产品新鲜而半夜赶路去市场了。可见目的是to keep their produce cool。