It seems __________ the poor guy is going to die of ________

Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, traffic engineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for transportation systems in large cities are frequently criticized for failing to solve traffic jam.
But is traffic jam a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box offices are seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently? I think we should recognize that traffic jam is an unpreventable by-product of successful cities, and view the “traffic problem” in a different light.
Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.
Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while decaying cities don’t have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America’s most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses (经纪行), you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere.
Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this light, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay.
So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility (交通不便) in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater.
There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That’s why, for now, we don’t see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois.
53. We can conclude from the first paragraph that____.
A. traffic jam and weather are the two factors preventing the development of the big city
B. traffic jam seems to be very difficult to deal with
C. if traffic engineers try their best, traffic jam can be solved
D. public officials are always criticized for misusing their power
54. According to the passage, what’s the author’s opinion towards traffic jam?
A. In cities, traffic jam is unavoidable.
B. Traffic jam is both a sign of failure and a sign of success.
C. Traffic jam is the consequence of successful cities.
D. For a successful city, traffic jam is not unpreventable.
55. By saying “decaying” (in Para. 4), the writer probably means____.
A. declining B. developing
C. rich and successful D. strong and healthy
56. According to this article, which statement about “New York” and “Los Angeles” is true?
A. The traffic jam in the two cities has been worsened.
B. New York and Los Angeles are the least successful cities in the USA.
C. It is easier to reach major brokerage houses in the two cities than in other cities.
D. Despite the traffic jam in LA, you’ll find a satellite-guidance engineer more quickly there.

Look! Every player in our team is doing their best. It seems ________our team is going to win.

A．even if

B．if only

C．as if

D．only if

第三部分: 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节：（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
It seems that beauty and women are twins. You are joking? No, I’m not. Observe for yourself. Ads on fashion flood TV screens, radio programs, magazines, newspapers, and the streets. Whether they have realized or not, women are besieged by a sea of fashion. They are taught to think that without beautiful clothes they will grow old and lose their charm. So who dares to neglet dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth?
But I do not agree with the opinion that women have to show their minds through their looks. The richness of their mind proves to be more beautiful and attract ive than their looks. A woman who has experienced many troubles and may be called “aunt” or “granny” can still maintain her beauty if she has such excellent qualities as knowledge, ability, a kind heart, great courage, concern for others, etc.
In addition, old and young, beautiful and ugly are relative concepts. People who keep a young mind will never feel old. Curious about new things and eager to learn more, they keep up with the tide. Painly dressed women may have a type of beauty, which is pure and real.
Reading and learning are the best way to keep one youthful. Good books are fertile soil which can feed the flower of one’s heart and looks.
56.The underlined word “besieged” may mean _______.
A. belonged to B. beside C. drew D. surrounded with
57. “So who dares to neglet dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth?” means_______.
A. no one dares to notice that dressing up needs money
B. no one dares to fail to care for her appearance and youth with dressing up
C. everyone dares to notice that dressing up needs money
D. everyone dares to fail to care for her appearance and youth with dressing up
58. What’s the writer’s attitude of this passage?
A. He thinks that richness is beautiful.
B. It’s impossible to be old if you keep a young mind.
C. The richness of the mind is really beautiful.
D. An old lady can keep her beauty if she has knowledge.

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