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Question: Jeremy Kerr, a researcher at the University of Ottawa in Canada, and his colleagues analyzed more than 400,000 observations of bumblebee species collected in North America and Europe from 1975 to 2010. When the researchers recorded the locations of these bee populations, they found that many of the 67 species analyzed were moving northward from their southern limits while the northern edges of the bees' ranges are staying in place. What it results in is obvious. Bees have been paid more attention to in recent years, with populations of honeybees and bumblebees obviously declining in some parts of Europe. Previously, attention on the decline of bee populations has focused on causes including habitat loss, pesticide use and the spread of bee parasites . But the work by Kerr's team found something different. "For every species, there is one or two species declining and others that are not moving at all," says Kerr. This shift has also been observed in other species, such as butterflies. But due to a new cause -- the rise of temperatures instead of total pesticide use, a change in land use or parasites, bumblebees -- unlike butterflies -- have failed to extend the northern boundaries of their ranges into the territory that is now habitable for them, so bumblebee species across Europe and North America are declining rapidly, the latest study led by Kerr's team finds. "Our data suggest that the new factor plays a leading, or perhaps the leading, role in this trend," says Kerr. "This study shows that a fourth factor is also beginning to affect it. It is likely that the combined stresses from all of these pressures will have destructive impacts on bumblebees in the not-too-distant future," says Dave Goulson, a bee researcher at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Exactly what can be done to help bumblebees is not clear. Kerr's team suggests that relocating colonies might be an answer but Goulson says that because the insects are mobile they are capable of moving northwards if there is suitable habitat available. What does the move of the bees' southern limits lead to? Choices: A. The birth of new bee species. B. The rise of the bees' population. C. The evolution of the bees. D. The reduction of the bees' habitat.
D
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Question: One day Einstein was walking in the street in New York. His friend met him and said to him, "Einstein, you should buy a new coat. Look, how old your coat is!" But Einstein answered, "It doesn't matter. Nobody knows me here." After a few years Einstein became a famous scientist. But he still wore the old coat. His friend met him again and asked him to buy a new one. But Einstein said, "I needn't buy a new one. Everyone knows me here." A few years later Einstein _ . Choices: A. bought a new one B. became a great scientist C. still wore an old coat D. B and C
D
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Question: An athlete is running a race. The athlete's body needs energy. Which organelle(s) in the athlete's cells supply the energy for cellular functions? Choices: A. Golgi apparatus B. mitochondrion C. ribosome D. nucleus
B
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Question: Many gardeners believe that "talking" to their plants helps them grow---it turns out that _ may not be crazy after all. According to the scientists from the University of Exeter, plants may keep communicating with each other through a secret "unseen" language. For their experiment, the scientists picked a cabbage plant that is known to send out a gas when its surface is cut. In order to get video evidence of the communication, they changed the cabbage gene by adding the protein---luciderase , which is what makes fireflies glow in the dark. When the changed cabbage plant was in full bloom, they cut a leaf off with a pair of scissors, and almost immediately, thanks to the luciderase, they could see the plant sending out "methyl jasmonate ". While this was a known fact, what was surprising was the fact that the minute this gas began to give out, the nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger and started to send out a gas that they normally have to keep predators like caterpillars away. What the scientists are not sure is whether the plants are trying to warn the other leaves or the near plants about the danger---something that will require further research However, the team, which is led by Professor Nick Smirnoff, is quite excited about the findings because this is the first time it has been proved that plants do not live a passive life, but actually move, sense and even communicate with each other. However, before you get all concerned, they are quite sure that plants do not feel the pain when they are cut, since they do not have nerves---so go ahead and bite into that juicy carrot! What's the best title of the passage? Choices: A. Plants Can Send Some Gas B. Plants Can Communicate with Each Other C. The "Unseen" Language of Plants D. Plants Can't Feel Pain
C
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Question: Swimming is very popular in the world. Many people like swimming in summer, even in the other three seasons. Water makes people feel cool and swimming makes people keep fit. If you swim in a wrong place, it may not be safe. A lot of people died when they were enjoying themselves in water, and most of them were students. Now some people are not careful enough in swimming. They often think they can swim so well that nothing will happen to them in water. If you go swimming in summer, don't forget that a lot of good swimmers have died in water. They died not because they couldn't swim, but because of their carelessness . Don't get into water when you are alone. If there is a " No Swimming" sign, don't swim there. If you remember these, swimming will be safe and enjoyable . _ like swimming in summer. Choices: A. Few people B. Lots of people C. Only students D. Only swimmers
B
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Question: Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man's life and two to a woman's. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm. Even if the odds are stacked against you(the conditions are not favourable),marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke. There's a _ , however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouses; death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects. So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological mechanisms .For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner. A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100.The best social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says:" People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected." What does the author say about social networks? Choices: A. They have effects similar to those of a marriage. B. They help develop people's community spirit. C. They provide timely support for those in need. D. They help relieve people of their life's burden
A
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Question: In anticipation of an extraordinary visit, the streets and buildings of Havana, Cuba, were cleaned and painted by dozens of workers. What was the occasion? For the first time in nearly 90 years, a sitting United States president was coming to Cuba, an island nation 90 miles south of Florida. On Sunday, President Barack Obama, joined by his family, stepped off Air Force One and onto a rainy runway, where Cuban dignitaries eagerly awaited him. "It's wonderful to be here, " the president said. The last time a U.S. president came to Cuba was in 1928. It was President Calvin Coolidge, and he arrived on a battleship. Obama will be in Cuba through Tuesday. He is set to meet with Cuba's president, Raul Castro, attend a state dinner and even take in a baseball game. The U.S. cut all ties with Cuba after Fidel Castro's communist government took control of the island in 1959. In the years that followed, both countries' opposing political views furthered the separation. Plans for social and economic change began after President Fidel Castro transferred power to his brother, Raul in 2008. Raul Castro then set a plan in motion to revive the country's economy. Since then, Cuba has been taking small, yet lasting steps toward change by removing a number of restrictions that had been set on its citizens, such as access to the Internet, the use of cellphones, and by allowing people to work at jobs not controlled by the government. Cuba, however, still has tough limits on media, public assembly and political opposition. Obama hopes to share his vision for Cuba's future during a speech he will deliver. Before the trip, Senior Advisor Ben Rhodes said the president hoped to use this visit as a way to "continue to create openings for great engagement between the American and Cuban people." According to Ben Rhodes, which is the purpose of Barack Obama's visit to Cuba?[ Choices: A. To bring negative change for Cubans. B. To carry out his vision for Cuba's future. C. To break silence and no communications. D. To give Mr Castro a list of political views.
C
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Question: When a new suburb was built there was less room for what? Choices: A. Tadpoles B. Crime C. Guns D. Air
A
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Question: As space science develops, man has learned more and more about space. Space is not only amazing but also dangerous. While working in space, spacemen are facing danger as well as success. Scientists have found out that _ to spacemen in space. When spacemen are working in space, they are in danger of radiation from the sun and other stars, which is bad for their health. The damage done by radiation won't be discovered until their children or even grandchildren are born. Some special medicine may work a little, but no really helpful medicine has been. Space junk is also thought _ It's reported that there are 9,000 man-made things flying in space. About 30% of these are satellites, 10% are spaceships, and the rest are space junk. An explosion in 1996 made a cloud of 300,000. _ , each at least 4mm in size, and even a small piece of these knocked against a spaceship window and did some damage. Scientists are watching and reporting any possible danger all the time. They are working on helpful ways to do with space junk. Although space is really dangerous, it interests everyone on the earth. In the near future, it may become usual for people to spend a few days in a space hotel. We may even choose to leave the earth and live in space in a few years. So we should care for space and do something to help improve the space environment. Which of the following about the passage is TRUE? Choices: A. The passage tells us that radiation in space comes from the sun and other stars. B. Every one of us can make a trip to space now. C. Scientists have found out ways to solve any problem in space. D. People are afraid to travel to space because it's too dangerous.
A
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Question: Many hospitals have blood banks. In these banks, blood of all types is stored. When blood is needed, it is taken from the bank. Healthy people then give blood to the bank to replace the blood that is used. Blood can be kept in the fridge for about three weeks with a kind of chemical. When people lose much of their blood because of operations or accidents, they may need transfusions . Some people may need transfusions because of illness. Sometimes only a part of the blood is used for transfusions. Plasma , the liquid part of the blood , may be given alone. Transfusions of plasma are often given when people have been badly burned. When a person gets a transfusion, he gets blood of the same type as his. Or there may be a bad reaction . To make it safer, before a transfusion is given, the blood to be used must be tested with the blood of the person who is to receive it. This testing is called cross matching of the blood. Oswald Robertson, an American doctor, was the first one to give transfusions. He used blood that had been stored for some time to help wounded soldiers in 1918 in World War One. Before a transfusion, it is important to make sure that _ . Choices: A. the blood is cold B. the blood has been stored long enough C. the blood is from people who have accidents D. the type of blood to be used is the same as the patient's
D
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Question: When you are talking to somebody at a party, do you focus entirely on the person you are speaking with or does your attention keep jumping around the room to all the other people there? General1y, if the person is someone you really want to talk to, you will focus on him. Most other people will only get about half of your attention. You may think that this is OK, because if you don't really want to talk to him, then what does it matter if you don't give him your full attention? Consider two things. First, you may just not realize the importance of that conversation. If you are at a networking meeting and you hope to meet the CEO of Company X, but you end up talking to someone who has a low-level job at a different company, then you may let your attention wander as you speak to him. But maybe you don't realize that this person has already met the CEO and could introduce you. Do you think he will do that if he feels you don't really care about speaking to him? This doesn't mean you need to spend the whole time talking to him. Five or ten minutes of real attentive conversation can be worth 30 minutes to an hour of partial attention. Second, whether you want to speak to someone is based on the situation. You can love your wife, but if she tries to talk to you while you are watching something you like on TV, where is your attention going? Make your own decision, but if you want her to feel valued, give her your 100% attention. The nice thing is that in many cases you can give her your attention for a few minutes and then return to what you were doing. You miss very little, she feels valued, and all is good. What is the main idea of this passage? Choices: A. Always be friendly to others at a party. B. It is important for you to be active at a party. C. You should respect your wife at any time. D. Improve your communication skills by focusing on others
D
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Question: The film The Tides of Kirawira, which won two prizes at a recent television festival, was made by Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone. The couple are inprefix = st1 /Englandto visit friends and family before heading back toTanzaniafor their next film. Their work takes them to some of the world's least-known areas but they still find themselves drawn back toEngland, particularly toCornwall, where their work and personal relationship developed. "We met in London when Mark was studying biology and I was at the Royal College of Art studying photography," says Victoria. "We both learned to dive at the same pool inLondonand went on diving weekends in the country. It was a terrible place, freezing cold, where we dived in wet suits full of holes. But that is where our relationship developed." After completing their studies they took part in the management of a conservation area in the mouth of the River Fal in Cornwall. "We were shocked. Nobody seemed to understand the river's ecological importance. So we thought, why don't we make a film to show people what a special place it is? Neither of us had any experience of filming but we took part-time jobs until we had enough cash to buy an underwater camera and some film." A television company agreed to provide money for the work and the film they produced about the underwater life of the River Fal was shown on television and won a number of prizes. By then, they both knew they wanted to work with wildlife in distant places around the world. Alkan Root, a famous East African wildlife film-maker, asked them to work for him. That was seven years ago and the job took them to the Serengeti to film crocodiles. Their films, Here Be Dragons andDevil Fish, were very successful. "We love Africa but we have to come back to Englandevery year," saysVictoria. "We need to return to see our friends and family. For us, Africa is temporary andEnglandmeans permanence. It's the difference between living in a tent inTanzaniaand a house inCornwall. We are lucky... we have the best of both worlds." Mark and Victoria have returned to England to _ . Choices: A. appear on television B. make a film aboutCornwall C. have a break between films D. receive a prize for their new film
C
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Question: What would you do if you were a fifth grader facing a huge homework load every night, and you found out that there was a machine that would do all the work for you? That's the situation presented to Sam, Kelsey, Judy and Brenton in Dan Gutman's entertaining new book for young readers, The Home Machine. The four children, all fifth graders in Miss Rasmussen's Grand Canyon School, are as different as any other 11-year-old child could be, but they have one thing in common -- all are somewhat separated from their classmates. Sam is a newcomer and has had his share of school trouble before; Kelsey quietly carries her pain at losing her father; Judy's sense of justice always annoys others; Brenton is the smartest child in the school, so smart that even his parents and teachers have trouble keeping up with him. When Brenton and his three classmates are put into the same study group by their teacher, the others discover that Brenton has made a time-saving gadget to do homework for him. While the boy is perfectly able to do his homework himself, Sam, Kelsey and Judy can use the help. Having perfect grades is something new for these three, and as they meet every day to "do homework", they find that they're learning a lot about each other. Such a good thing can't last though, and when a secret man starts trying to get in touch with them, they begin to get nervous. Soon there's an even more frightening problem -- why can't the Homework Machine be turned off? Told in different voices as all the children make statements to the Grand Canyon Police, the story develops in an interesting fashion. Gutman is a gifted writer who has written dozens of children's books, each with a funny and impressing table that should be equally liked by boys and girls. What is one common thing that all the four children have to deal with at school? Choices: A. Getting along with their classmates. B. Doing their homework by themselves. C. Overcoming difficulties on their own. D. Catching up with others to get good grades.
A
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Question: Narayana Hrudayalaya, a complex of health centers based in southern India, offers low-cost, high-quality specialty care in a largely poor country of 1.2 billion people. By thinking differently about everything from the unusually high number of patients it treats to the millions for whom it provides insurance, the hospital group is able to continually reduce costs. Narayana Hrudayalaya's operations include the world's largest and most productive cardiac hospital, where the average open-heart surgery runs less than $2,000, a third or less what it costs elsewhere in India. Narayana Hrudayalaya's origins date back to 2001, when it built its massive cardiac center on the outskirts of Bangalore. But it has expanded since then into what founder Dr. Devi Shetty calls a "health city," a series of centers specializing in eye, trauma, and cancer care. Narayana Hrudayalaya now manages or owns hospitals in 14 other Indian cities. Expanding access is paired with a ongoing focus on efficiency. Typically, says Shetty, private hospitals in India focus on patients who can easily afford treatment. "We did it the other way around," he says. "This hospital is for poor people, but we also treat some rich people. We don't look at people who are sgabbily dressed and have trouble paying as outsiders. " Narayana Hrudayalaya's flagship hospital has 3,000 beds and negotiates for better prices and buys directly from manufacturers, cutting out distributors. In addition to cost-cutting, Narayana Hrudayalaya finds creative ways to make the economics work. The company started a micro-insurance program backed by the government that enables 3 million farmers to have coverage for as little as 22 cents a month in premiums . Patients who pay discounted rates are in effect compensated by those who pay full price Doing something--doing more, actually--is the point. By 2017, Shetty, 58, plans to expand from 5,000 beds throughout India to 30,000. Before becoming one of India's best-known health-care entrepreneurs, Shetty was its best-known heart surgeon. He was interrupted in surgery one day during the 1990s by a request to make a house call. "I said, 'I don't make home visits,' " Shetty says, "and the caller said, 'If you see this patient, the experience may transform your life.' " The request was from Mother Teresa. Inspired by the her work with the poor, he then set out to create a hospital to deliver care based on need, not wealth. "One lesson she taught me," he says, quoting a saying he keeps framed in his office, "is ' .' " Why did Shetty build the massive cardiac center in 2001? Choices: A. He wanted to build a health city. B. He was motivated and decided to help more people. C. He intended to develop his career in different areas. D. He meant to help more poor people get free treatment.
B
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Question: The adolescent girl from Tennessee was standing on the stage of a drama summer camp in New York.But the girl didn't feel joyful.She was not the leggy,attractive Hollywood type.In fact,she described herself as stupid. This girl was Reese Witherspoon,who had wanted to be a country singer and admired and respected Dolly Patton very much. That day at the end of the camp her coaches told her to forget about singing.They suggested she think about another career.She took their words to heart.After all,why shouldn't she believe the professionals? But back at home in Nashville,her mother--a funny,happy,optimistic woman--wouldn't let her feel depressed.Her father,a physician,encouraged her to achieve in schoo1.So she worked hard at everything and was accepted at Stanford University. And at 1 9,she got a part in a low-budget movie called Freeway, which prepared for her role in the movie Pleasantville.But her big break came with Legally Blonde. "If you can't sing and you aren't charming,play to your strengths.If you're going to make it in this business,better focus on what you're good at,"she told the interviewer later. And then came the offer that took her back to her Nashville--playing the wife of a country star Johnny Cash,a singing role. All of a sudden the old fears learned on that summer stage were back.She was so nervous on the stage.But she didn't give up on the movie or herself.She spent 6 months taking singing lessons again.She learned to play the Autoharp.And the hard work built up her confidence. Last March,Reese Witherspoon walked up on another stage,the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood,and accepted the Oscar as Best Actress for her heartbreaking,heartwarming singing role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Why was Reese Witherspoon sad that day? Choices: A. The experts advised her to give up singing. B. Dolly Parton told her to leave the stage. C. The coaches described her as foolish. D. The professionals considered her ignorant.
A
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Question: In choosing a friend,one should be very careful.A good friend can help you study.You can have fun together and make each other happy.Sometimes you will meet fair weather friends.They will be with you as long as you have money or luck,but when you are down,they will run away.How do I know when I have found a good friend?I look for certain qualities of character,especially understanding,honesty and reliability . Above all,I look for understanding in a friend.A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling.He is not quick to judge.Instead,he tries to learn from others.He puts himself in the other person's place,and he tries to think of ways to be helpful.He is also a good listener. At the same time,however,a good friend is honest.He does not look for faults in others.He notices their good points.In short,a friend will try to understand me and accept me. Another quality of a friend is reliability.I can always depend on a good friend.If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time,I can be sure that he will be there.If I need a favor,he will do his best to help me.If I am in trouble,he will not run away from me. There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special.A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun.We should enjoy our lives,and we would enjoy our friendship.That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with.A good friend likes the same things I like.We share experience and learn from each other.A good friend has a good sense of humor ,too.He likes to laugh with me.That is how we share in the joy of being friends.And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me. When I meet someone who is reliable,honest,and understanding,I know I've found a friend! Good friends need to _ . Choices: A. always point out each other's mistakes B. be helped with money C. understand each other's feelings D. have money or luck
C
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Question: An astronomer is making a case for launching pop singer Justin Bieber into suborbital space aboard a private rocket ship. The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager -- he would come back down to Earth eventually, after all -- but rather to help jump-start the emerging suborbital spaceflight industry. It would generate a lot of public interest, which would help commercial spaceflight pick up some much-needed momentum, said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, California. "If there's more interest, there are more customers. If there are more customers, there's more technical development. It's a positive feedback loop, and obviously that's good." Such missions would return to Earth without completing a full lap around the planet. Instead, the flights would hit the edge of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, experience a few minutes of weightlessness, then re-enter the atmosphere and land back at a spaceport. None of these firms are ready to fly customers yet, but some are getting close. For instance, Virgin Galactic hopes to begin powered test flights of its SpaceShipTwo vehicle later this year, with commercial operations perhaps beginning in 2013 or 2014. It is SpaceShipTwo that reportedly grabbed the attention of Beyonce and Jay-Z. Virgin Galactic has collected deposits from nearly 500 customers willing to pay $200,000 for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo, and both Virgin and XCOR have inked deals to fly scientists and their experiments on research flights. So a suborbital market already exists -- but Shostak is thinking about ways to make it grow. A celebrity launch isn't Shostak's only idea. Suborbital firms should also promote their activities aggressively via social media, Shostak said, and they should make sure their spaceships are bristling with cameras both inside and out, to give the public dramatic views of every mission. Some observers view commercial suborbital spaceflight as a potentially transformative industry, saying it could serve as a stepping stone to the exploration and exploitation of space on an unprecedented scale. While the industry's success is far from assured, Shostak offered some reason for optimism: The American public remains keen on space. What is the main purpose of the text? Choices: A. To predict a change in the space market. B. To discuss a recent launch. C. To introduce the status of the spaceflight industry. D. To remove public doubt about the spaceflight industry.
C
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Question: What do decomposers release once they have broken down the dead organisms? Choices: A. organic molecules B. inorganic molecules C. unusable molecules D. essential molecules
B
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Question: Do you know more and more Chinese artists have made regular donations to charity or put their efforts into charity work in China? Here let's know some of them. Faye Wong and her husband Li Yapeng started the Yan Ran Angel Foundation for harelipped children three years ago. It was named after their daughter. Its purpose is to help children under 14 to cure their harelips. The couple donated one million yuan (about $ 133,000) to start the organization. Cong Fei was born in a poor family. He became a successful singer in Shenzhen. He helped 178 poor students and disabled people for more than 10 years. Before he died of an illness at the age of 37 in 2006, he decided to donate his cornea to people with eye problems. He helped six people see the world. Guan Mucun has donated money to Project Hope to help poor students finish primary education. Thirty of these poor students have already finished high school with her support. Guan has also helped with charity work for environment protection, HIV/AIDS prevention, blood donation and "Mother Water". Guan had an unlucky childhood: her mother died when she was only 10 years old. With the help of the government and her neighbours, she grew up and was successful as a famous singer. Action star Jackie Chan is a wholehearted supporter of charities including UNICEF, Operation Smile and his own Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation. In 2007, he used much of his spare time to visit the farthest parts of China on his Dragon's Heart Charity Missions. The Dragon's Heart Foundation aims to meet the needs of poor children and the elderly in the hardest-to-reach areas of the country. Chan has made several trips to these poor villages, bringing warm clothing, wheelchairs and school supplies, and helping to build schools. What can we learn from the passage? Choices: A. Faye Wong and Li Yapeng don't like their daughter. B. More than 7 people's eyes were cured thanks to Cong Fei's Cornea. C. Guan Mucun was once helped by the government and her neighbours. D. Jackie Chan didn't have chance to visit the people he helped.
C
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Question: Betty and Harold have been married for years .But one thing still puzzles old Harold .How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa ,talking ,go out to a ballgame ,come back three and a half hours later ,and they're still sitting on the sofa ? Talking ? What in the world ,Harold wonders ,do they have to talk about ? Betty shrugs .Talk ? We're friends . Researching this matter called friendship ,psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men .No matter what their age ,their job ,their sex ,the results were completely clear :women have more friendships than men ,and the difference in the content and the quality of those friendships is "marked and unmistakable ." More than two -thirds of the single men Rubin interviewed could not name a best friend. Those who could were likely to name a woman .Yet three-quarters of the single women had no problem naming a best friend ,and almost always it was a woman .More married men than women named their wife/husband as a best friend ,most trusted person ,or the one they would turn to in time of emotional distress ."Most women ,"says Rubin ,"identified at least one ,usually more ,trusted friends to whom they could turn in a troubled moment ,and they spoke openly about the importance of these relationships in their lives ." "In general,"writes Rubin in her new book ,"women's friendships with each other rest on shared emotions and support ,but men's relationships are marked by shared activities." For the most part ,Rubin says ,interactions between men are emotionally controlled -a good fit with the social requirements of "manly behavior ." "Even when a man is said to be a best friend ,"Rubin writes ,"the two share little about their innermost feelings .Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage ,it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa ." What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that _ . Choices: A. he is treated as an outsider rather than a husband B. women have so much to share C. women show little interest in ballgames D. he finds his wife difficult to talk to
B
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Question: My bookshelves are full of dust--and with good reason.When iIt comes to cleaning that part of my home,I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance . The thing is this:when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books,which seldom happens,I place myself into a really bad situation.No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust,and wipe down the cover thanI find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall.Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends. It is as if these boobs have voices,and each wants to say its piece."Remember me?I was given to you when you went into the Navy , so that you would never lack for companionshlp,"one whispers.Another says,"I was your first book of poems,given to you before you learned to love poetry."And a third,"I was the book that made history so attrctive to you." Perhaps thegreatest pleasuret of re-organizing my books are the surprise--or better said,reunions--that occur. During my latest book cleaning adventure,I found one that had fallen behind the shelf:"Tales of Edgar Allan Poe."Not an unusual title,but the words written on the first page made it very special"With Love from Mom and Dad,Christma 1965." What's this? A book on the physics of lasers .It is filled with mathematical statements,and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12,not long after the laser had been invented.I couldn't understand a bit of it,bul I did learn what "laser"meant. What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section of my personal history. It's like a road cut whre one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms.The books I've read--and kept--are not just old fiends.They' re my _ . What does the author enjoy most from re-orgazining his books? Choices: A. Finding some missing books. B. Putting books in good order. C. Learning something new from the books, D. Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books.
D
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Question: My name is Mimi. I'm black and white. I like sitting on the chair in the sun in winter. Do you know my favorite food? It is fish. I don't like apples. I can climb trees. I can sing " Miao, miao". What am I? Can you guess? What can Mimi do? Choices: A. Climb trees. B. Play computer games. C. Watch television. D. Cook
A
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Question: One day, an old man went(go)for a walk in a park in Washington, and when he was(is) tired, he sat(sit) down on a bench . A young person was standing on the other side of the pond . "My goodness" the old man said(say)to the person sitting next to him on the bench."Do you see the person with loose pants "and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?" "A girl," said the person sitting next to the old man. "She's my daughter." "Oh!" the old man said quickly, "please excuse me. I didn't know that you are her mother." "I'm not her mother," said the person."I'm her father!" where did the story happen ? Choices: A. At a school. B. on a farm. C. In the street. D. In a park.
D
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Question: Three years ago, five parrots were set free in a wild place of Arizona, thousands of miles from the Channel Islands in Jersey where they had been looked after by zookeepers. No evolutionary strategies informed them how to behave in this new landscape of mountainous pine forest unoccupied by their kind for 50 years. To the researchers' surprise, they failed to make contact with a group of wild parrots imported from Mexico and set free at the same time. Within 24 hours the reintroducing ended in failure, and the poor birds were back in cages, on their way to the safety of the Arizona reintroduction programme. Ever since then, the programme has enjoyed great success, mainly because the birds now being set free are Mexican birds illegally caught in the wild, confiscated on arrival north of the border, and raised by their parents in the safety of the programme. The experience shows how little we know about the behaviour and psychology of parrots, as Peter Bennett, a bird researcher, points out: "Reintroducing species of high intelligence like parrots is a lot more difficult. People like parrots, always treating them as nothing more than pets or valuable 'collectables'." Now that many species of parrot are in immediate danger of dying out, biologists are working together to study the natural history and the behaviour of this family of birds. Last year was an important turning point: conservationists founded the World Parrot Trust, based at Hayle in Cornwall, to support research into both wild and caged birds. Research on parrots is vital for two reasons. First, as the Arizona programme showed, when reintroducing parrots to the wild, we need to be aware of what the birds must know if they are to survive in their natural home. We also need to learn more about the needs of parrots kept as pets, particularly as the Trust's campaign does not attempt to discourage the practice, but rather urges people who buy parrots as pets to choose birds raised by humans. What do we know about the area where the five parrots were reintroduced? Choices: A. Its landscape is new to parrots of their kind. B. It used to be home to parrots of their kind. C. It is close to where they had been kept. D. Pine trees were planted to attract birds.
B
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Question: People use their mouths for many things.They eat,talk,shout and sing.They smile and they kiss.In the English language,there are many expressions using the word "mouth". For example,if you say bad things about a person,the person might protest and say "Do not bad mouth me." Sometimes,people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person.Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell.The speaker might say,"I really put my foot in my mouth this time." If this should happen,the speaker might feel down in the mouth.In other words,he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing. Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something.The other person might protest,"I did not say that.Do not put words in my mouth." Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family.There is an expression for this,too.You might say such a person,"was born with a silver spoon in his mouth." This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth.This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life,like food. Parents might sometimes keep a child off sweet food as a form of punishment for saying bad things.For example,if a child says things she should not say to her parents,she might be described as a mouthy child.The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off. But enough of all this talk.I have been running my mouth long enough. If a person lives from hand to mouth,it implies that _ . Choices: A. he is badlyoff B. he is hardworking C. he has lots of money D. he has enough to eat
A
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Question: Mr. Green has a small garden in front of his house. There are lots of flowers in it. But he has only a few trees. His neighbor Mr. Black has a garden, too. Mr. Black's garden is smaller than Mr. Green 's garden. He has fewer flowers than Mr Green but more trees. Mr. Brown is Mr. Green's another neighbour. Mr. Brown's garden is the smallest one of the three. He has the fewest flowers of them all, but the weeds in his garden are the tallest. There is always a lot of work to do in his garden, but Mr. Brown doesn't have enough time to work in his garden, so his garden is the worst. Mr. Black has _ flowers but _ trees than Mr. Green. Choices: A. more; fewer B. fewer; more C. more; more D. fewer; fewer
B
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Question: You don't run across a story this inspiring every day. Dawn Loggins, a North Carolina high school senior who was left homeless by her parents the summer before her senior year, has graduated from Burns High School in Lawndale, NC. While that's quite the accomplishment, what comes next is truly amazing: Dawn has been admitted Harvard University . Dawn grew up in a less-than-ideal situation, to say the least. Her house had no electricity or running water, so she was forced to do her homework in the dark and go days, even weeks, without showering. She lived with parents who abused drugs. At Burns, Dawn was accepted to Governor's School, a one-month summer program in North Carolina for gifted high school juniors. But when she returned to Lawndale from the program in July t,she found her house empty, with a notice on the front door,saying the house has been taken back.Dawn was officially homeless. Dawn didn't let her situation stop her drive to be successful. As a senior, she participated in typical high-school activities at Burns: band club, photography club, cross-country and National Honor Society. She also worked as a janitor to earn extra money -- all while making straight A's. And like any other bright high school senior, she decided to go to college. Dawn applied at four North Carolina schools and her dream school, Harvard.Then she got an acceptance letter from the Ivy League school. On top of being accepted, Dawn received a full scholarship to attend. CNN wrote that since Dawn's story has circulated worldwide, people have sent encouragement and money to the teen. Dawn doesn't want the money for herself, though. "When I get to college, I can work for what I need. And I know my future is going to be great," she told CNN. Dawn hopes to start an organization to help other students with similar barriers in continuing their education. Which of the following can be used to describe Dawn Loggins? Choices: A. optimistic, hardworking and kind B. lovely, inspiring and hardworking C. mean, optimistic and lucky D. brave, nervous and clever
A
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Question: A young man who lived in London was in love with a beautiful girl. Soon she became his fiancee. The man was very poor while the girl was rich. The young man wanted to make her a present on her birthday. He wanted to buy something beautiful for her, but he had no idea how to do it, as he had very little money. The next morning he went to a shop. There were many fine things there: gold watches, diamond... but all these things were too expensive. There was one thing he could not take his eyes off. It was a beautiful vase. That was a suitable present for his fiancee. He had been looking at the vase for half an hour when the manager of the shop noticed him. The young man looked so pale, sad and unhappy that the manager asked what had happened to him. The young man told him everything. The manager felt sorry for him and decided to help him. A bright idea struck him. The manager pointed to the corner of the shop. To his great surprise the young man saw a vase broken into many pieces. The manager said: "When the servant enters the room, he will drop it." On the birthday of his fiancee the young man was very excited. Everything happened as had been planned. The servant brought in the vase, and as he entered the room, he dropped it. There was horror on everybody's face. When the box was opened, the guests saw that each piece was packed separately . Why did the shop manager come to talk to the young man? Choices: A. He looked very excited. B. He looked pale and sad. C. He was poorly dressed. D. He said he wanted to buy a beautiful vase.
B
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Question: Genes are unable to determine a person's Choices: A. eye color. B. athletic ability. C. number of teeth. D. shape of earlobes.
B
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Question: We all know that every class has its own rules, like "No smoking!", "No eating!" and "No sleeping!". Our class used to be noisy, because some students were talking when a student was answering the teacher's questions. So our head teacher made some class rules. In class, we should observe the rules. Now, I list some rules in our class: 1. No talking when Someone is speaking. 2. No sleeping in class. 3. No eating in class. 4. Students can't arrive late for school. Be always on time. 5. No playing in class. 6. No laughing when someone makes a mistake. 7. No smoking or drinking. 8. Students can't dye hair. Boys can't let their hair grow too long. 9. In the schoolyard , students can't ride bikes. 10. Students can't fight with each other. Maybe some students don't obey some of the rules. They may smoke, fight and dye hair. But most students think the rules are fine and say they will obey the rules. I think because our class has such rules, we will study better and better. Who made the class rules? Choices: A. The monitor B. The students. C. The head teacher. D. The parents.
C
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Question: Disasters happen all the time somewhere in the world. Are you ready if one hits your neighborhood next week? Find out what you need to do now before it is too late. Let's take an earthquake for example. During an earthquake, get under a strong object like the kitchen table. Don't leave the building during the shaking, or you might be hurt by falling objects from the outside of the building. When you are in bed during the night and an earthquake happens,simply roll off the bed. There will be a safe void around the bed. If you are watching TV and you cannot easily run away by getting out through the door or window, then lie down and curl up next to a sofa, or a large chair. Never go to the stairs. The stairs are likely part of the building to be broken. Even if the stairs are not destroyed by the earthquake,they may fall down later when people run down. Try to get into an open area away from trees,buildings,walls,advertisement boards and power lines if you are outdoors. If you are driving when an earthquake suddenly happens,just stay in your car until the shaking ends. However, if the footbridge falls and breaks your car,get out of it and sit or lie next to it. All the broken cars have voids 3 feet high next to it. What should you do if you are in a building when an earthquake happens? Choices: A. Rush out quickly B. Sit in the kitchen C. Stay below strong objects D. Go down the stairs
C
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Question: What will the contraction of smooth muscles help organs do? Choices: A. move joints B. fine motor movements C. carry out functions D. move across distances
C
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Question: "Now!" whispered Suki. "Quick, while the clerk's not looking." Heart pounding, Leah slid two tubes of lipstick into her purse. She looked bored as she followed her friends Suki and Jill out of the store, but inside she felt panicked. "I can't believe you made me do that," Leah cried. ks5u "Relax," said Jill. "Everybody does it sometimes. And we didn't make you do it. " She said nothing, but Leah knew she wouldn't have done that on her own. She was just experiencing huge peer pressure. Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, or taking dangerous risks when driving a car. The pressure to conform (to do what others are doing) can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is ly harmless -- or something that has more serious consequences. Giving in to the pressure to dress a certain way is one thing -- going along with the crowd to drink or smoke is another. The people who are most easily influenced will follow someone else's lead first. Then others may go along, too -- so it can be easy to think, "It must be OK. Everyone else is doing it. They must know what they're doing. "Before you know it, many people are going along with the crowd -- perhaps on something they might not otherwise do. Responding to peer pressure is part of human nature -- but some people are more likely to give in, and others are better able to resist and stand their ground. People who are low on confidence and those who tend to follow rather than lead could be more likely to seek their peers' approval by giving in to a risky challenge or suggestion. People who are unsure of themselves, new to the group, or inexperienced with peer pressure may also be more likely to give in. The writer tries to tell us that peer pressure _ . Choices: A. is a normal phenomenon B. exists only among young people C. does more good than harm D. lowers self-confidence
A
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Question: In which process is nitrogen from the air put into a form that plants can use? Choices: A. nitrification B. denitrification C. nitrogen saturation D. nitrogen fixation
D
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Question: Do you know about a series of books that say they are "for dummies"? These American selfhelp books have been translated into more than thirty nine languages including Chinese,Arabic,Russian,French,German,Greek and Spanish. "Dummy" is a word for a stupid person.The dummies books are not really for stupid people.They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before,like painting a house or learning a language.The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies,such as World History for Dummies,Rabbits for Dummies,Chinese Cooking for Dummies,and Wedding Planning for Dummies.The first such book,DOS for Dummies,was published in 1991.It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers.Since then,more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold. The dummies.com website explains the idea behind the books.It says that they show people can be taught to do anything.First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand.Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy.The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary.They give readers just enough information to do what they want.They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something.And the books use simple and easy language. There are more than one thousand different dummies books.A report in New York Times says that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance. The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need-like information about diseases,education and cooking.People interested in opera,car repair and wine can also find dummies books to help them.And there are even more dummies books to come.The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year. According to New York Times,we know that books on _ sell best. Choices: A. technology and personal finance B. opera and car repairing C. diseases and education D. cooking and world history
A
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Question: A doctor was teaching some medical students at a famous hospital. A patient was brought in, and the doctor asked one of his students, "What's wrong with this man?" "I don't know, sir," the student answered. "I need to examine him." "There's no need to examine him," said the doctor. "You should know without asking questions. He has hurt his right knee. Didn't you notice the way he walked? He hurt it by burning it in the fire. You see his trousers leg is burnt away at the knee. This is Monday morning. Yesterday was fine, but on Saturday the roads were wet and muddy. The man's trousers are dirty all over. The man fell down on Saturday night." The doctor then turned to the man, "You had your pay on Saturday and went to a public house and drank too much. You got muddy and wet on the way home. Because you had drunk too much, you fell on the fire and burnt your knee. Is that right? "Yes, sir," said the man. A public house is a _ . Choices: A. supermarket B. burning house C. bar D. hospital
C
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Question: Television has changed our lives in many ways. Many people now spend more time watching TV than doing anything else. Researchers in the USA has estimated that when most students leave school they have spent 11,000 hours in the classroom and 22,000 hours watching television. But what effect does this have? Benefits of television: 1. Television helps us to learn more about the world and to know and see many mew things. Television can offer present information to us in a more effective way than books. It can also make things more _ . 2. It entertains us. It is an enjoyable way to relax. For millions of people around the world, television is a source of companionship and helps them to cope with everyday life. 3. It has increased the popularity of sports and arts. 4. It has made us aware of our global responsibilities. In 2000, for example, 1.5billion people in 147 countries watched a TV pop concert and helped to collect more than $100million for people in Africa. Dangers: 1. Television can make us passive . We don't have to think and our brains become lazy. 2. It encourages us to buy things that we don't need, and can make us unhappy with our own life. 3. It takes time away from activities such as reading, conversation, and games. 4. It gives a false picture of society. A study in 2003 showed that people who watch a lot of TV are more afraid of crime. They also think that there is a lot more crime than there really is . 5. Some critics say that television make people violent. A ten-year study in the United States showed that children who watch violent television programmes are more likely to be violent themselves. According to the passage, the dangers of watching TV too much included all the following except that _ . Choices: A. television can make us active B. television encourages us to buy things that we don't need C. television gives us a worse picture of society D. television takes time away from a lot of activities
A
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Question: Unlike archaea and eukaryotes, bacteria have a cell wall made of what? Choices: A. substrates B. peptidoglycan C. hydrogen D. phospholipids
B
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Question: I work in a busy Emergency Room( E. R. ) . This weekend, I had a patient who was very nervousand paranoid. After looking at his chart, I saw that he was seeking treatment for alcoholism. There is an immediate prejudice against substance abuse in my E. R. One -we do not have a detox facility.The people seeking treatment for addiction are sometimes looked down on as being less worthy of treatment than other serious physical " ailments" . At first glance, I found out that the man was now somewhere in his mid-thirties, was very weak and had a generally aggressive character. He could not sit still and had a cough. He had not had a drink in four days. His hands were shaking and there was a scared look in his eyes. He told me that he began drinking about age 11 when his mother supplied him with it. He had tried to quit many times before but had not been able to." So . what's different this time ?"I asked. "Because I'm starting to be mean to the people I love, but now I don't want to be. I ca:n see that I'm changing into something else. " That answer helped change my attitude toward him. I could see the pain behind his eyes. Behind the appearance, there was a terrified person whose goodness was being claimed by the alcohol. He was desperate for help, but not so sure that his condition could be changed. I, thank this man for showing me that the goodness is dressed in all sorts of disguises . Sometimes we have to undress it. It's worth doing. My patient was admitted to the hospital for help ,despite us not having a detox facility. From the passage we know that _ . Choices: A. The patient was refused mainly for the hospital's lack of equipment B. The patient once didn't want to treat the people he loved kindly C. The patient was strong and brave at first glance D. The patient once succeeded in giving up drinking alcohol
B
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Question: It's the place where smart people make smart machines work even smarter. It's also in the heart of sunny California, a great place to start a family and raise kids. What could be better? But something is happening to their children. Up until the age of two they develop normally. But then everything seems to go backwards. The children become locked into their own small world, unable to communicate at all. They call it the "curse of Silicon Valley," but the medical name for the condition is autism . It used to be thought that autism was a kind of mental illness. Now doctors are sure that it is a neurological disease transmitted genetically. It seems that the people leading the communications revolution are having children who cannot communicate at all. But even the parents have trouble communicating. Asperger's Syndrome is a mild version of autism. People who have it are highly intelligent and often brilliant with numbers or system but have no social skill. This very combination of symptoms makes Asperger's sufferers into ideal computer professionals. The Asperger's sufferer has always been a well--known figure in popular culture. He or she was the eccentric but dedicated scholar or the strange uncle or auntie who never married. But the high numbers of such people in Silicon Valley mean that they can meet others who understand them and share their interests. And while they might not be personally attractive, they can earn truly attractive amounts of money. They can get married and have kids. Unfortunately, many of the children of two Asperger's parents seem to be developing serious autism. There is little anyone can do. It takes hours of work just to make autistic child realize that anyone else exists. And there is no cure in sight. Some argue that no cure should be found. "It may be that autistics are essentially different from normal people, but that these differences make them invaluable for the evolution of the human race," says Dr. Kirk Whilhelmsen of the University of California. "To eliminate the genes for autism could be disastrous. " It seems that the children of Silicon Valley are paying the price of genius. Why do people call autism "curse of Silicon Valley"? Choices: A. Because autistic people live in Silicon Valley. B. Because many people working in Silicon Valley have autism children. C. Because people with autism will be driven out of Silicon Valley. D. Because people with autism are not personally attractive and not liked by others.
B
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Question: What pattern best describes most migration? Choices: A. west to east B. north to south C. east to west D. south to north
B
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Question: There are several ski hills that can be found locally, and not so locally. Here's a bit of an informal snow report for any visitors to the city who may be unfamiliar with the local options for skiing. Sunshine Village Sunshine is definitely the premier ski hill in the area. Of all the hills in Alberta, Sunshine is the one that has earned international _ . Ticket prices are cheaper this year than they have been in the past. Adults pay $76.5, seniors $61.5, and children only pay $26.5. At present, they have a snow base of 107 cm. The terrain is a mix of both easy and hard runs. Lake Louise Of all the ski resorts nearby it is the largest with 4,200 acres of ski-able terrain. It has the best balance between easy and difficult runs, and it gets snow of 93 cm right now. Adults pay $75.5, seniors pay $54.5, and children pay $24.5. Lake Louise is a great choice for anyone looking to do some easy access backcountry skiing. Nakiska While it will be opening shortly, Nakiska is popular to the public. Currently, they have a base of 71cm. The terrain at Nakiska is varied, but slants more towards the easy side. It's the best place for families to go skiing as there is a lot of beginner and kid terrain. Tickets are relatively cheap. Adults pay $64.5, seniors pay $51.5, and children only pay $19.5. Olympic Park O.P. was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Canada, and it is a world-class facility for almost every winter sport. It has facilities not only for skiing, but also for all kinds of other activities. It has a snow base of 102 cm, but it isn't the primary focus. However, with tickets starting at $5 and capping at $39, it is very inexpensive. How much will a woman pay if she and her husband with two children go skiing in the best family place? Choices: A. 168 dollars. B. 103.5 dollars. C. 209 dollars. D. 129.5 dollars.
A
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Question: Do animals have a culture? What do we mean by "culture"? Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in humans, or if some animals have a culture too. When we speak of culture, we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Culture includes the beliefs and attitudes we learn. It is the patterns of behavior that help people to live together. It is also the patterns of behavior that make one group of people different from another group. Our culture lets us make up for having lost out strength, claws, long teeth, and other defenses. Instead we use tools, cooperate with one another, and communicate with language. But these aspects of human behavior, or "culture", can also be found in the lives of certain animals. Animals can make tools, for example. We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Lately, however, we have found that this is not the case. Chimpanzees can not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. Animals can also share knowledge with each other and use their own language to communicate. So it may be important for us to know that the line dividing us from animals is not as clear as we used to think. It's _ that animals have a culture too. Choices: A. sure B. unbelievable C. possible D. important
C
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Question: Mrs. Black lives on Second Street. New Year is coming. She wants to send a card to her friend in Toronto, but she doesn't know where the post office is. She asks her neighbor Linda, " Is there a post office near here? I want to send a card." "The post office is far from here," says Linda, "but you don't need to go to the post office to post the card. There is a _ in front of the supermarket. You can put your card into the mailbox." What does Mrs. Black want to do? Choices: A. She wants to go to the post office. B. She wants to go to the supermarket. C. She wants to send a card to Linda. D. She wants to visit her friend.
A
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Question: Bones are part of which body system? Choices: A. hard system B. skeletal system C. circulation system D. muscular system
B
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Question: Water skiing is a sport with many social, economic and health benefits to society. It is unique in that it is a sport where able and disabled persons, and people as young as 5 years and as old as 80 years of age can participate alongside each other. It is a sport that involves more than one person, and is a wonderful family activity that gathers members together for a day of fun at a favorite waterway. Anyone who has put on water skis can attest to its health benefits--it is a sport that demands and develops strength, agility and endurance. The sport includes several disciplines including slalom, tricks, cable, jump, ski racing, kneeboard, wakeboard, and barefoot, with each of these practiced for either recreational or competitive enjoyment. Safety Tips for Water-Skiers Don't take unnecessary risks while water-skiing. The following tips will help you safely enjoy this thrilling sport: ALWAYS have an observer in the boat. This is a legal requirement in many states. The boat driver cannot watch the skier and operate the boat safely at the same time. ALWAYS wear a Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) designed for water skiing. Ski belts are NOT recommended. Your approved PFD will help keep you afloat. NEVER ski in rough water. High waves or a choppy sea will prevent the tow boat from maintaining a steady course and speed. NEVER ski after dark. It is dangerous AND illegal. Any boat traveling fast enough to tow a skier is traveling too fast to navigate safely at night. NEVER water-ski while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such activity is extremely dangerous because of the impairment to your judgment and ability to respond. A recent study conducted with expert skiers who were purposely drunk indicated that even their ability to ski was dramatically reduced. Use hand signals between the skier and observer. Agree before you start what each signal means so there is no confusion at a critical moment. Which of the following is against law while water skiing? Choices: A. An observer doesn't watch the skier. B. A skier doesn't fasten his safe belt. C. Go skiing at midnight. D. Go skiing after drinking wine.
C
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Question: Long long ago, there was an old merchant who had three sons. "To which one shall I leave my fortune?" he wondered. "It must be to the cleverest son. But which one is the cleverest?" He called his three sons to him. "Here is some money," he told them, "you must each take one coin to buy something that will fill this room. Anyone who can do this shall have my fortune." "It is a big room," said the eldest son. "One coin will not buy very much," said the second son. But the youngest son said nothing. He stood and thought, and then he smiled, "Come, brothers," he said, "let us go to the market." The eldest son bought straw with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of straw. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the straw covered only a corner of the room. The second son bought sand with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of sand. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the sand covered only half of the floor. "What did you buy?" the eldest son angrily asked the youngest son. "You don't have any straw." "Yes, what did you buy?" the second son asked angrily. "You don't have any sand." "I bought this," said the youngest son. "A candle!" cried his brothers. "What good is a candle?" "Watch", said the youngest son. He lit the candle, and all at once the room was filled from wall to wall, from ceiling to floor. It was filled with light! "Although you are the youngest, you are indeed the cleverest of my sons," the old merchant said. And that is how, the old merchant left his fortune to his youngest son, the one who could fill a room with light. The youngest son used _ to fill the room. Choices: A. straw B. candle C. sand D. water
B
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Question: What are the two ways animals can manage their internal environment? Choices: A. digestion or excretion B. regulating or conforming C. adaptation or mutation D. sweating or sleeping
B
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Question: Sammy, Kate and Ben were planning a birthday party for their friend Stew. This party was going to be a surprise. They were going to have the party in Stew's house. Sammy's job was making the house look nice. Kate's job was to get a clown to come to the party. Ben's job was to make enough food for all of the guests. Also, each of the three friends got Stew a gift. Sammy got Stew a few goldfish in a bowl. Kate got Stew a really cool little tree in a pot. Ben got Stew a new shirt with people from Stew's favorite television show on it. His favorite television show is Crazy Town, by the way. On the day of the party, Sammy was taping signs on the walls, Kate was on the phone with the clown and Ben was cooking in the kitchen. There was a storm outside, so they were worried that all their friends might not show up. There was thunder and lightning, wind and rain. They even lost power for a little bit! But everything turned out okay in the end. All their friends showed up and Stew was very surprised. He loved all of his gifts and he thought the clown was funny. Everyone loved the food Ben made, too. What did the storm do? Choices: A. Made their friends not show up B. Made Stew not surprised about the party C. Made them lose power for a little bit D. Made Ben cook bad food
C
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Question: While traveling satisfies different needs of various types of people, most serious adventurers hope to make some connections while they're experiencing another culture. Discovering another way of life is fascinating, and leads to a deeper understanding of one's own culture as well. However, it can be difficult to get to know people and customs if one's trip is spent at a hotel. A better choice for gaining insight into the culture of a country is couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is free, and guarantees a close encounter of some sort, as it allows you to stay on a local's couch or in a guest room. Travelers can look up couchsurfing opportunities on Couchsurfing.com, where hosts and surfers can connect, create and view profiles, and exchange information. "Meeting their friends, seeing how they function and seeing how people were actually living are so personal. I really like the opportunity to gain a pure knowledge of someone's life," says Meghan Sinnott, who recently couchsurfed in Denmark, Holland, and Sweden. The formal Couchsurfing Project has been around for a while. It was started in 1999 by Casey Fenton, who was on a cheap trip to Iceland from Boston. Finding himself without a place to stay, he e-mailed more than a thousand students at the University of Iceland and got more than 50 responses offering him a free couch. When he returned to his hometown Boston, he decided to turn the experience into a website-based network, which was created in 2004. While some travelers might be afraid of the idea of sleeping on a previously unseen couch or getting a cup of coffee with a complete stranger halfway across the country, others jump at the chance to walk into the unknown. And that tells us exactly what couchsurfing is all about--learning about the world and a stranger at a time. People choose couchsurfing while traveling mainly to _ . Choices: A. see beautiful scenes B. experience different cultures C. save money D. write traveling articles
B
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Question: A small man with a fat stomach got on the train at the last station before the frontier . He carried a paper bag. And four feet ducks could be seen under the cover. The man found an empty seat, put the bag in the middle of the floor, took out a newspaper and began to read. Then a policeman came in. Of course he saw the bag with ducks' legs at once and said, "Whose is that bag?" Nobody answered. The policeman repeated the question, and said, "I'll have to take it away from the owner. Food mustn't be taken out of the country." "Well, then," said the small man with a fat stomach. "Hurry up and take it. We want to go home." The policeman took the bag and went on to the next carriage. At the next station, when they were safely across the frontier, the small man got up, smiled at the other passengers and said, "I hope they'll enjoy the ducks' feet. The rest of the bag had nothing but rubbish in it." Then he opened his coat and pointed to another bag he was carrying under it. It was tied tightly over the stomach, which was not really fat. "I have the rest of the two ducks here," he said. With these words, he got off the train. But while he was happily walking to the exit with the bag in his hands, a policeman came up to him, saying, "Hey, man! Foreign food mustn't be brought in." The bag the policeman took away had nothing in it except _ . Choices: A. two ducks B. rubbish C. the ducks' feet and rubbish D. the ducks' feet
C
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Question: Yang Liwei circled the earth 14 times in 21 hours on October 15 and 16, 2003, landing on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Looking a little tired, Yang stepped out of Shenzhou V, smiling and waving at the waiting people. "I feel very good." Yang said to Premier Wen Jiabao on the phone. Yang said to a newspaper, "For our motherland and me, this is a great moment." China's _ of Shenzhou V shows a higher starting point. It has two special systems to protect the spaceman, but neither Russian rockets nor American ones have. Yang didn't know that he was chosen as China's first spaceman until just before the launch. Although Yang was excited at the news, he still slept at 8p.m. as usual and was woken up at 8p.m. the next morning. Before the launch, Yang ate Chinese traditional food-dumplings. We all know that travelers usually eat them before going on a journey for good luck. A stamp Success of China First Manned Space Flight was issued on October 16, 2003, making China the third country to send a spaceman into outer space. China issued the stamps to _ . Choices: A. leave them in space B. give them to Yang Liwei as a reward C. celebrate the success D. give them to Russian and American spacemen.
C
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Question: There's no need to say it, but there are really more than a few benefits to educational tours. From the word itself, an educational tour is something done to gain knowledge while traveling and touring to some place. It creates opportunities for people to think out of the box and see things and places that aren't usually seen in their normal environment. Educational trips aren't always those that cover far distances. As already said, it is done to gain knowledge and you wouldn't need to go very far to have it. Sometimes, an educational trip could be in your hometown. Historic places and museums are always on top of the lists of the places to go in an educational tour. Educational tours like these would make you know your country better. Your country's history is rich and it is the reason why you came. But remember that the history of other states, counties and countries are as important as your own. When you go on a trip to another country, it is likely that you learn their culture first. Different cultures have different understanding and perspective of different acts, and it could be dangerous or offending if you cannot understand a culture. When you go on an educational tour, it is likely that you would have the opportunity to socialize with other people. Students are encouraged to talk to locals and natives and learn from them, because it is with understanding that students gain knowledge. When students talk with local people, they are gaining insights to their life and their culture. It is said that when in Rome, act and think as the Romans do, and this is a valuable skill that not all people could do. There are millions of people who want to travel, and an educational tour is the perfect time to do so. Traveling opens new doors and opportunities; it always makes you want to learn more. Cultures are many and widely different, and it is a very valuable talent to understand the people of different cultures. Traveling with groups of other students is safer than traveling alone, and bulk travels like those could also be helpful on the budget. Group of friends could stay at one place and get discounts on the place that you wouldn't get if you are traveling alone. Traveling is fun and more budget-friendly when with other people on an educational tour. Travel abroad for a month, try and see if you wouldn't miss your own country. Traveling would let you see your own country in a different way. The benefits of an educational tour are all important, but this one creates patriotism in a person. A school isn't a place where they teach you to find the answers; it is a place where one teaches you to find the questions and learn the answers for yourself. Educational tours are valuable this way. They teach you that you are not the only one seeking for questions and that there are other people who are willing to help you on your way too. What places are people most likely to go to in an educational tour? Choices: A. Schools and churches. B. Government buildings. C. Places of amusement. D. Historical places and museums.
D
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Question: In contrast to mammals and birds, freshwater fishes produce large volumes of very dilute what? Choices: A. blood B. feces C. urine D. nitrogen
C
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Question: Even bird brains can get to know an entire continent ----- but it takes them a year of migration to do so, suggests a Princeton research team. The scientists have shown that migration adult sparrows can find their way to their winter nesting grounds even after being thrown off course by thousands of miles. The team first brought 30 sparrows to Princeton from northern Washington State, where the birds had been in the process of migrating southward from their summer breeding grounds inprefix = st1 /Alaska. Half the birds were juveniles of about three months in age that had never migrated before, while the other half were adults that had made the round trip to their wintering site in the south-western United States at least once. After the birds were released, they attempted to resume their migration, but both age group grew disoriented quickly. "All the birds scattered at first," Wikelski said. "It was clear that they were turned around for a couple of days. But while the adults eventually realized they had to head southwest, the younger birds resumed flying straight southward as though they were still in Washington." "The adults," said team member Richard Holland, "recovered their bearings because they possess something the younger birds do not, which is an internal map." "These birds need two things to know where they are and migrate effectively: a 'map' and a 'compass'," saidHolland, a postdoctoral research associate in Wikelski's lab. "What we've found is that juveniles use their compass, but the adults also use their map." Hollandsaid, "The birds do not lose the compass as they age, but somehow develop the map, eventually applying both tools to keep on track during migratory flights. Scientists already have determined that the compass is based on the sun or the magnetic field, but where the map comes from remains a mystery----one that the team will be exploring in coming years." We can know from the passage that the juveniles of sparrows _ . Choices: A. will follow the adults in their flights B. will find their destination eventually C. will lose the compass as they age D. still lack an internal map
D
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Question: Many countries follow special customs when a child's baby teeth fall out. Many of these customs tell stories about animals taking the teeth. For example, Koreans have the custom of throwing the fallen tooth onto the roof of a house so that a magpie can take the tooth away and bring a new tooth for the child. This custom is also followed by some other Asian countries, such as Japan and Vietnam. Other countries, though, have tooth customs about other animals. In Mexico and Spain, for example, it is thought that a mouse takes a fallen tooth away and leaves some money. But in Mongolia, it is dogs that take children's teeth away. Dogs are highly respected in Mongolian culture. It is believed that the new tooth will grow strong if the baby tooth is fed to a dog, so parents in Mongolia will put their children's fallen teeth in a piece of meat and feed it to a dog. In France and the USA, a child will put a fallen tooth under his or her pillow before going to bed. It is thought that in the early morning, when the child is still sleeping, the Tooth Fairy will take the tooth away and leave something else under the pillow. What she will leave is hard to know. It is said that in France the Tooth Fairy may leave some candies; however, in the United States, she may leave money. In Vietnam, if a child's tooth falls out, he or she will _ . Choices: A. throw it onto the roof of a house B. feed it to a mouse C. put it in a piece of meat and feed the meat to a dog D. leave it to the Tooth Fairy
A
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Question: Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants. Sometimes, the word "green" means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or an ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18th century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today--a person who is new in a job. Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb . The expression comes from the early 20th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling , jealousy . The green-eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play "Othello". It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants. For example, a young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if you get a pay rise and he does not. In most places in the world, a green light means to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means agree to continue with a project. The main idea of the passage is _ . Choices: A. a greenhorn B. a green thumb C. the Green Revolution D. the word "green" and its story
D
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Question: The other day my aunt paid me a visit. She was overjoyed. "I got the highest mark in the mid-term examination!" She said. Don't be surprised! My aunt is indeed a student, exactly, a college student at the age of 45. "Compared with the late 70s," she says, "now college students have many doors." I was shocked when she first told me how she had had no choice in her major. Look at us today! So many doors are open to us! I believe there have never been such abundant opportunities for self-development as we have today. And my aunt told me that we should reach our goals by grasping all these opportunities. The first door is the opportunity to study different subjects that interest us. My aunt was happy to study management, but she could also attend lectures on ancient Chinese poetry and on Shakespearean drama. As for myself, I am an English major, but I may also go to lectures on history. The second door is the door to the outside world. Learning goes beyond classrooms and national boundaries. I have many fellow international classmates, and I am applying to an exchange program with a university abroad. As for my aunt, she is planning to get an MBA degree in the U.K. The third door is the door to life-long learning. Many of my aunt's contemporaries say she's amazingly up-to-date for a middle-aged woman. She simply responds, "Age doesn't matter. What matters is your attitude. I don't think I'm too old to learn." Yes, she is right. Since the government removed the age limit for college admissions, there are already some untraditional students, sitting with us in the same classrooms. Like them, my aunt is old but young in spirit with incredible energy and determination. The doors open to us also pose challenges. For instance, we are faced with the challenge of a balanced learning, the challenge of preserving our fine tradition while learning from the West, and the challenge of learning continuously while carrying heavy responsibilities to our work and family. So, each door is a test of our courage, ability and judgment, but with the support of my teachers, parents, friends and my aunt, I believe I can meet the challenge head on. The following word can be used to describe the writer's aunt EXCEPT _ . Choices: A. fashionable B. traditional C. energetic D. determined
B
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Question: Head teacher, teachers, grandparents, parents and classmates, I'm very proud that I have been chosen to speak to you all today. I'm a bit nervous as I've never made a speech before to so many people, so please forgive me if it shows! www.xkb1.com As we all know, this is the school leavers' party, and it's time to say goodbye to everyone. We're sorry to leave you at the end of our junior high school education, and we promise that we'll never forget the happy times we have spent in these buildings with you all. I'd like to thank three groups of people for the three things I've learnt while I've been a pupil at our school. The three things are friendship, love and knowledge. The first group is my friends, and what I've learnt is the importance of friendship. We've worked hard together, we've even shared some difficult times together, but we've also had a lot of fun. Many of us will go to new schools and we may not see each other so often in the future. Others will go on to senior high school and continue their close friendships. But friends don't have to see each other all the time. Sometimes the friends you treasure most are the friends you see less often. A life without old friends is like a day without sunshine. We'll always stay in touch. The second group is our parents and grandparents. We thank you for the love you have shown us during our years at junior high school, for making a home where we feel both safe and relaxed, and where we can prepare ourselves for our school days. We also thank you for your help with our homework. How many of us owe our good grades to the suggestions you have made during those long evenings? And finally, the third group is our teachers. We can never pay you back for your kindness, your patience, and gift of knowledge which you have offered us; sometimes you've made us work very hard. But you have always been fair and you'll always be our role models. There's a saying from Ireland which is a favourite of mine: Strangers are only friends you haven't met yet. I couldn't say it better myself. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all and wish you success for the future. Who was the speech made by? Choices: A. A teacher B. A student C. A parent D. A manager
B
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Question: My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren't too many tourists in October. We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn't understand the bus routes, and my wife didn't like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick. We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn't have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn't think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals. In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I'm sure we'll need them sometimes. The couple had some difficulty in _ . Choices: A. booking in the hotel B. finding the bus routes C. going sightseeing on foot D. having meals
B
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Question: What is your favourite English letter? Many of you may say Q. Why?Because so many of you chat with your friends on QQ. What do you like about QQ? What do you talk about? The CCTV reporter, Miss Wang, interviews three kids. Let's listen to what they say. When do you chat on QQ? What do you talk about? Lin Yuhan, Xi'an: On weekends. We talk about homework and chat with each other. Tang Xuting, Shanghai: At weekends and when I don't have much homework. We exchange test answers and chat. Yang Yuhang, Dalian: Our class goes online together at 4----6 pm on weekends. We complain about homework, chat and talk about computer games. What do you put on your QQ blog ? Lin: I put good articles I have found online on my blog. I also write articlesmyself. They are about funny things that have happened in my class. Tang: I put pictures on my blog. Not my own photos, but pictures from myfavorite Japanese cartoons like Tennis Prince and Conan. Yang: I put DV films on my blog. I shoot them during sports meetingsand school parties. The most popular one is about a dancing teacher. Itis so funny that everyone watches it. How do you like QQ? Lin: It's a good place for us to make a record of our lives, of both good timesand sad times. Tang: My friends and I may not have time to chat at school. But we can doit on QQ. It's very helpful to our friendships. Yang: If you chat with friends on the telephone, your parents sometimeslisten in on your conversation. There's no such problem with QQ. Youcan relax and talk freely. What does Lin Yuhan put on her QQ blog? Choices: A. Some pictures. B. Good articles. C. DV films. D. Japanese cartoons.
B
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Question: Mr. John and Mr. Brown work in the same office. One day Mr. John says to Mr. Brown, "I will have a small party in our house on Monday evening. Would you and your wife like to come?" Mr. Brown says, "Thank you very much. I'd love to, but let me ask my wife first." So Mr. Brown goes to the other room and telephones his wife. Then he comes back and looks very worried. "What's the matter?" asks Mr. John. "Is your wife there at home?" "No," answers Mr. Brown. "She isn't there. My small son answers the telephone. I say to him, 'Is your mother there, David?' and he answers 'No, she isn't in the house. ''Where is she?' I ask, 'She is somewhere outside.' 'What's she doing?' 'She is looking for me.'" ,. How many people are there in the story? Choices: A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6
B
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Question: Feeling exhausted and hopeless, I began walking to my car. Every step seemed tiring, and every step was another to survive. As I looked up into the sky I thought about how my grandmother had left me, and my anger began to return. I was annoyed by the loss, and my belief in God was beginning to fade. I couldn't understand why these things happened. So as I stood in a public parking lot a million questions formed in my mind. Why did this happen to me? Aren't we supposed to get signs from the people that pass on? Why did I not feel her presence anymore? Is there a heaven? Suddenly, a woman driving right by my side rolled down her window and distracted my unanswered thoughts. "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me," she said loudly. Thinking she was going to ask for my parking spot, I simply pointed to my car. The thought of having to say where my car was seemed like too much to bear. "No, excuse me," she said again. At this point, I felt I had no choice but to see what this annoying lady wanted. As I got closer, I was startled--was this my grandmother's nurse, Adu, who lived with her during her final months? I soon realized that she wasn't, although the resemblance was unusual. Then, I realized that this Adu was searching for something in her bag. Surprisingly, I was overcome by a sense of relief that led me to be patient the entire time the lady was searching. Others would be nervous by a stranger reaching in their bag, but I wasn't. She finally reached to the very bottom of her bag and handed me a three-page booklet. "It looks like you need this," she said calmly with a warm smile on her face. I looked down at the mysterious and obviously used booklet and on the front cover in big bold letters read "What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?" It took me only a few seconds to comprehend the exchange with this woman, but by the time I looked up, she was gone. I walked slowly into my car holding the tiny little book that was given to me with fear that it would fly away in the wind. I didn't know what it was exactly, but I knew that if my grandmother had anything to do with that I didn't want to let it go. I felt a sense of relaxation as I opened the first page. It explained how people pass on, but their spirit remains with us. This was the first time since my grandma had passed that I felt her with me, just like I had wanted. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but I did know that I finally felt happiness from the surprising change in events. I couldn't, and still can't, believe what had happened to me on that day. I don't remember the specific details that you usually hear about like what the person was wearing, the time of day, or even the weather, but it doesn't matter. It was a random day in November when my life turned back around and I began to feel hope again. It was real. It was a miracle. And, I'll remember it for the rest of my life. What would be the best title for the passage? Choices: A. Miracle at the Parking Lot B. What Hope for Dead Loved Ones? C. True Love for My Grandmother D. Adu, My Grandmother's Nurse
A
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Question: Here are Important Travel Notices from United Airlines, March 20, 2016 7:12 AM. Information is updated as it is received. * 1. Travel and the Zika virus If you have a ticket for travel to a country affected by the Zika virus (as listed on the CDC website) and have concerns, please contact the United Customer Contact Center with any questions or changes to your reservation. Customers advised to avoid the affected regions based on CDC guidance may change their destination or travel date without a fee or may choose to receive a refund if their tickets were booked before February 29, 2016. The new travel date must be within the validity of the ticket. Additional charges may apply if there is a difference in fare for the new travel route. * 2. Longer lines at security checkpoints Procedural changes at TSA checkpoints throughout the United States may result in longer lines at security checkpoints. Please plan accordingly and allow for extra time at the airport. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for US travel and three hours before for international travel. To save time at security, we encourage you to visit www.tsa.gov.com and apply for TSA pre-check. * 3. Notice for flights departing the European Union, Norway and Switzerland EU Regulation 261/2004 requires airlines to provide the following notice: If you are not allowed to board or if your flight is cancelled or delayed for at least two hours, ask at the check-in counter or boarding gate for the form, stating your rights, particularly about compensation and assistance. Compensation can be asked for when _ . Choices: A. passengers refuse to board the plane B. passengers' trip is cancelled in advance C. passengers' flight is delayed at least two hours D. passengers miss their flight due to traffic jam
C
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Question: Winter is dangerous because it's so difficult to know what is going to happen and traffic accidents take place so easily . Fog can be waiting to meet you over the top of a hill. Ice might be hiding under the melting snow, waiting ahead to send you off the road. The car coming to you may suddenly slip across the road. Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is to drive smoothly. Sudden movements can make a car very difficult to control. So every time you either start or stop your car, increase or reduce your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Suppose you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. Drive so that you wouldn't spill _ . Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the further down the road you have to look. Test how long it takes to gently stop your car. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally, allow twice of your usual stopping distance when the road is wet, three times on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times ad you will not get into trouble. How should we start or stop the car on icy roads ? Choices: A. We should do it as quickly as usual . B. We should do it as gently and slowly as possible . C. We should do it as fast as possible . D. We should do it more quickly than usual .
B
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Question: It is men's nature to live together in families and tribes , and cities and nations, and therefore men have learned to prize those qualities in each other which make social life the happiest and best. Of these qualities one of the most important is sympathy-fellow-feeling. If a man had no fellow-feeling, we should call him "inhuman"; he would be no true man. We think so much of this quality that we call a kind man "human"-that is, man-like in his conduct, first to other men, and afterwards to all living things. If you are cruel to animals, you are not likely to be kind or thoughtfull to men; and if you are thoughtful towards men, you are not likely to be cruel and thoughtful towards animals. This is why the wise man of old wrote, "The merciful man is merciful to his beast." What a pleasure it is also to be loved by our pets or domestic animals; and to feel that we are caring for them and are deserving of their love; or to watch the ways of wild creatures, and gradually to make friends with them! Treating animals kindly does not mean that we must never inflict any pain on them. We ourselves are trained by pains as well as by pleasures; so too, punishment is sometimes needed to train our dogs and horses to obey us. We endure pains at the hands of the surgeon, to cure some wound or to heal some disease; so too, animals must submit to being doctored. We send out our bravest men to face wounds, sickness and death, for the good of the nation; so too, we let our horses share the risk of battle. For similar reasons, we cannot hesitate to destroy dangerous creatures like wolves and show senseless ferocity . It is no excuse to say that these animals deserve to be treated cruelly on account of their own cruelty. They are not really cruel, for they tear and kill not from love of unkindness, but because they must do so in order to live. The author would probably agree with the following EXCEPT that . Choices: A. we must never force any pain on animals B. some people have to kill some animals in order to live C. it is human for a doctor to cut off some part from the animals D. wise men are not only good to men but also to animals
A
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Question: Many kids turn up their noses at the thought of eating fish because, well, it can smell "fishy". While it is usually a healthy source of protein in the diet, there may be several reasons to avoid biting into a forkful of fish. Before you break out the tartar sauce, learn some facts about fish to keep yourself and the environment healthy. Some fish may contain harmful chemicals, which can be the result of both natural causes and water pollution. Mercury is a poisonous chemical, which occurs naturally in oceans and the Earth's crust, but also comes from man-made sources, such as pesticides, burning garbage, and the releasing of fossil fuels. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of chemicals, can also be found in some fish. These dangerous man-made chemicals were used in many industries until 1977, when they were banned. PCBs were released or leaked into the air and water and have been transported around the globe. How do mercury and PCBs end up in fish and the food supply? When they are released into the air, they attach themselves to particles. These particles settle on the ground and in the water and are eventually eaten by microscopic organisms. Small fish eat the micro-organisms, and large fish eat the small fish and on up the food chain. Because they can negatively affect your health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises that kids younger than 15 years old avoid fish that contain high levels of mercury and PCBs. These include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. There are also many types of fish that are good for you, but because of overfishing are in danger of being wiped out. Some are being fished in the wild so much that they cannot reproduce fast enough to survive. Others are being farmed in ways that are not environmentally friendly. These fish include red snapper, Atlantic salmon, blue-fin tuna, and king crab. Despite these problems, there are several fish that are both healthy and sustainable, such as Alaskan salmon, American catfish, Pacific cod, and several farm-raised fish and shellfish. How do mercury and PCBs come to our food supply? Choices: A. Mercury and PCBs--water --fish -- particles --food supply B. Mercury and PCBs--particles -- organisms-- fish -- food supply C. Mercury and PCBs--particles -- fish -- organisms -- food supply D. Mercury and PCBs--organisms--ground and water -- fish -- food supply
B
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Question: Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home. What to Expect The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health. Accommodation Zones Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential . Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowed area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground. Meal Plans Available Continental Breakfast Breakfast and Dinner Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner It's important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal ,bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by dessert, fruit and coffee. Friends If you wish to invite a friend over to visit. you must first ask your host's permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy. Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much. The passage is probably written for Choices: A. hosts willing to receive foreign students B. foreigners hoping to build British culture C. English learners applying to live in English homes D. travellers planning to visit families in London
C
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Question: What do scientists think are the oldest eukaryotes? Choices: A. arthropods B. fungi C. prokaryotes D. protists
D
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Question: A new study links heavy air pollution from coal burning to shorter lives in northern China.Researchers guess that the half-billion people alive there in the 1990s will live an average of 5 years less than the southerners because they breathed dirtier air. China itself made the comparison possible for decades, a then government policy provided free coal for heating, but only in the colder north. Researchers found great differences in both air pollution and the length of life in the two areas. "This study provides a unique basis for the question about the life span in northern China because the heating policy dramatically changes pollution concentrations ," Michael Greenstone, a professor of environmental economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in an email, "Further,due to the low rates of migration in China in this period, we can know people's exposure over long periods". The policy gave free coal for fuel boilers to heat homes and offices to cities north of the Huai River which divides China into north and south. It was in effect for much of the 1950-1980 period, of central planning,and though such policy was stopped after 1980, the practice of heavy coal burning in the north goes on, which releases heavy pollutants into the air that can harm human health.Researchers found no other government policies that treated China's north differently from the south. The researchers collected data for 90 cities, from 1981 to 2000, on the annual daily average concentration of total particulates sent out from power stations,construction sites and vehicles. Among them, PM2.5 is of especially great health concern because it can go deep into the lungs. The researchers estimated the impact on the length of life using death data from 1991-2000.They found that in the north, the concentration of pollutants was 184 micrograms per cubic meter, 55 percent higher than in the south, and life length is 55 years lower on average. According to Greenstone, what mainly caused the high pollution concentrations in North China? Choices: A. power stations B. construction sites C. the government policy D. gases from vehicles
C
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Question: The White House Correspondents' Dinner is an annual event, and a highlight of the evening is the President's comedy routine. This year, President Obama decided to make a good-natured hit at Michelle's expense. You might remember the "bangs" that the First Lady introduced to the world several months ago! Oh yes he did! Obama bangs joke shows how, with professional helps, presidents are now just as funny as the comedian hosts. For his second term, President Obama will be making big changes! He _ his White House Correspondents' Dinner speech at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, Apr. 27 by joking, "Second term, baby!" "I recognize that this job can take an attack on you. I understand that second term you need a burst of new energy and try some new things," Obama, 51, said. "My team and I talked about it and we're willing to try anything, so we borrowed one of Michelle's tricks." He then presented a slideshow of funny photoshopped images of himself sporting his wife's famous new bangs, a photo of himself and the first lady side by side, both with bangs. "I think this looked pretty good." After Obama's speech, Conan O'Brien took the stage and kept the jokes coming. The late night host made a joke about the President's focus on job creation. "Since he was reelected," he said, " the number of popes has doubled and the number of Tonight Show hosts had three times." President Obama made a good-natured hit at Michelle's expense to _ . Choices: A. laugh at Michelle B. show his humor C. remember the "bangs" D. make big changes
B
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Question: Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled----to $1.01 per pack---smokers have jammed telephone 'quit lines' across the country seeking to kick the habit. This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase. The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they _ people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely. In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4.78. The influence is obvious. In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26 % of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records. Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans "who choose to smoke." That's true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today's adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better. Rogers' attitude towards the low-income smokers might be _ . Choices: A. angry B. unconcerned C. doubtful D. sorry
D
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Question: Over the years, many cities and states have tried to put a tax on sugary drinks. Last week, Berkeley, California succeeded. The city in northern California will charge a penny-per-ounce tax on most sugary drinks. The tax is expected to raise more than $1 million every year to fight against obesity . Makers of sugary drinks are against the tax. They say picking out one product will not solve the obesity problem in America. They also argue that a tax is an attack on personal freedom. "Families should be able to make the choice for their kids without the government stepping in," said Chris Gindlesperger, a spokesperson for the American Beverage Association . Gindlesperger says that the fight against obesity is more successful when the government partners with industry. He shows how the beverage industry worked with President Bill Clinton's administration is the 1990s. They introduced water, milk, and fruit juice into a large number of schools, which took the place of sugary drinks. More recently, the beverage industry listened to First Lady Michelle Obama's suggestion that labels on sugary drinks be clearer. Containers of up to 20 ounces will show the total calories on the front. Some people say a tax is a _ way to help reduce obesity in the U.S. "There is clear evidence that taxes result in less consumption of sugary drinks," says Dr. Rachel Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She points to Mexico as an example. The country put up a tax on sugary drinks in January, and sales have already dropped by 10%. What's more, sales of healthier drinks have increased. Bottled water sales are up by 13%. Milk sales are up by 7%. Another purpose of the tax is to raise money to fight childhood obesity. Money will be used to build playgrounds, create educational materials, and increase the sales of the healthier foods. "We've already helped reduce obesity to some degree," says Dr. Johnson. "I'm confident that we're going to see even bigger progress soon." Why does Johnson talk about Mexico? Choices: A. It is her favorite country. B. She likes Mexican sugary drinks. C. She tries to show a tax can help a lot. D. It produces all kinds of sugary drinks.
C
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Question: What type of organisms have internal clocks that regulate cyclic processes? Choices: A. protozoa B. endogenous C. fungi D. eukaryotic
D
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Question: Father's day Sunset Live Music Dinner Cruise Sunday, June 16th, 2013 6:30pm-8:30pm Join us abroad the 95' Dana Pride for our special Father's Day Dinner Cruise. Enjoy a unique evening of fun on the water, complete with live music by Mike O' Brien and a delicious barbecue dinner. Adult--$ 59 Kids (3-12)--$29 Two and under are Free LOCATION: Dana Point Harbor BOOK ONLINE OR CALL: 949-496-5794 Rancho Days Fiesta July 13, 2013 Celebration the history of Saddleback Valley, there will be children's activities including free crafts projects. Help make and taste homemade ice cream and butter, warm bread from the oven. Dip water and grind corn while learning about the early days of Orange County. Admission is $ 3 for children 3 to 12 years old and $4 for adults. LOCATION: Heritage Hill Historical Park INFORMATION: 949-923-2230 Annual Silverado Counter Fair and Art Festival October 5-6, 2013 The 42thAnnual Silverado Country Fair explores the wonders of the area's Old West rustic culture, great live music tasty food, handmade arts, crafts and family games under the oak-trees below Orange Country's famous Saddleback Mountain. Daytime adult admission: $4/ Kids under 12: only $2 Saturday Night Music Fest : $ 5 for everyone LOCATION: Silverado Community Center INFORMATION: 714-997-3968 Starr Ranch Sanctuary October 20-21, 2013 Audubon California's Starr Ranch Sanctuary invites you to our fall classes for adults. Join our wildlife biologist for two peaceful days at beautiful 4,000 acre Starr Ranch in southeast Orange County and experience nature hands-on as a wildlife researcher. Cost: $ 95 for those not camping (including dinner) $100 for those camping (dinner and breakfast provided) LOCATION: Starr Ranch Sanctuary RESERVATIONS OR INFORMATION: 949-858-0309 Mr. Smith wants to take his wife and daughter to have some family games in early October. He will call _ for information. Choices: A. 949-496-5794 B. 949-923-2230 C. 714-997-3968 D. 949-858-0309
C
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Question: Some people are so rude! Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says "Thank you"? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don't these people realize that they're wasting your time? Maybe I'm the rude one for not appreciating life's little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don't make sense to people drowning in digital communication. In texts, you don't have to declare who you are or even say hello; E-mail, too, is slower than a text; Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect. My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. _ , he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. "Why are you leaving him voice mails?" my sister asked. "Just text him." In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business's phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail. How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. Others, like me, want no reply. The anthropologist Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here's hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do. What's the best title of this passage? Choices: A. Nowadays: what means should we use in communication B. Nowadays: do you like leaving others a voice message C. Nowadays: what should we do with text messages D. Nowadays: do you need a thank-you message
A
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Question: Dear Editor: While a new school term is about to begin, perhaps we should reconsider the matter of examinations. In July, two writers(letters to the editor) praised the cancellation of exams because they believe "Tests don't tell the whole story". As a teacher who has worked in four countries, I have had the experience that a student who earns good marks is generally a good student, and a student's final mark in a subject is usually a grade average of the year's work. Of course there are expectations, but they do not have the frequency that would give an unfair picture of a student's ability. The simple fact is that proper class work; diligent exam studies and good marks are almost certain indicators of a student's future performance. The opposite is, almost certainly, incompetence. There is no acceptable substitute for competition of quality. How can teachers and future officials determine what a student has learned and remembered? Should we simply take the student's mark for it? Any institution that "liberates" students from fair and formal exams is misguided, if not ignorant and surely the "graduates " of such institutions will lack trustworthiness , not to mention being rejected by foreign universities for graduate or other studies. When all is said and done, I sense that a fear of failure and a fear of unpleasant comparison with others are at the bottom of most ban-exam talks. Excellence and quality fear nothing. On the contrary, they seek competition and desire the satisfaction of being the best. Which of the following will be the author of this passage probably agree with? Choices: A. Tests are an effective measure of the students' abilities. B. Tests are not effective in measuring the students' abilities. C. Tests can only measure some of the students' abilities. D. Tests may not be useful for measuring students' abilities
A
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Question: Each year on February 2nd, there is special festival called Groundhog Day ( )' forecasting event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When it comes, people from around the world, including 5,000 in the small town today, watch this tongue-twisting small town for a sign from one groundhog that supposedly predicts when that years' spring will arrive. If it's a cloudy day outside when the groundhog _ from its cave, then spring will arrive early that year. However, if it is sunny outside, the groundhog will supposedly be scared by its own shadow, hiding underground for six more weeks of cold weather. Of course, Punxsutawney Phil's prediction is no more able to guarantee the extended forecast than your local weatherman. ABC News reports that an analysis by the National Climate Data Center found that Phil's predictions are more often wrong than right. Philis is also found to have made some unpleasant predictions. Ever since 1887, he has predicted 99 extended winters and just 16 early springs .Nine of the years' predictions were unavailable, according to ABC. The holiday began as a German tradition in 18th century and became even more of a cultural phenomenon after the 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Punxsutawney Phil has become a celebrity in his own right. Each year, the fatter animal with long teeth is watched by millions as he emerges from a cave in the town he is named after. Phil has become so beloved by the town that he actually lives in the local library with his "wife" Phyllis. Taking inspiration from the hard state of Bill Murray's character in the classic film, Yahoo contributor Owen Rust says Groundhog Day is a good time to reflect on one's routines. How does Punxsutawney Phil become a celebration? Choices: A. By an accident. B. From people's life improving. C. By his own attractive force D. From much money raised by the town.
C
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Question: The three segments of arthropods are the head, thorax and what? Choices: A. abdomen B. antennae C. chest D. appendages
A
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Question: Two tectonic plates pushing toward each other cause intense heat and pressure in Earth's crust. Into which will crust material be changed by heat and pressure? Choices: A. fossils B. sediments C. igneous rock D. metamorphic rock
D
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Question: Do you often find yourself crying in arguments? Does it feel like you just can't stop your emotions defeating you completely when you are in the middle of a heated discussion with someone, and you particularly want to make clear strong points and express yourself effectively? Many people think that someone who bursts into tears during an argument or a quarrel is 9 / 17 trying to handle the situation by bringing emotion into it. But the person who wells up tears during some heated discussion is not in control of those tears. They just can't control blushing or stop themselves breaking out in a sweat if they feel nervous. The body has a number of such automatic responses that switch on without your decision that you want to respond like this. These instinctive behaviors have evolved over millions of years to protect us. Basically, our brains make associations between things that seem similar, which is important for automatic responses. For example, a snake is a potentially dangerous creature, and you can see why it might be useful if, whenever you see a snake, you will run like crazy. And you can see why it might still be useful if you see a flexible stick and get the same reaction. However, these very simple associations can sometimes be really unhelpful. It's not useful to try to calmly argue an important point with someone, and suddenly find tears running down your cheeks. Tears can generally make you seem weak, or foolish, and less credible. Who's going to take what you say seriously if you're crying? But if these reactions are not under your control, what can you do about it? The good news is that although you can't control automatic reactions directly, you can unlink unhelpful associations. And that means that an unwanted reaction won't get started, and so won't happen. Besides, you can try the following: Begin to notice a change in how you feel about previous times when you were defeated by emotion; Develop a growing sense of confidence and optimism about how things will go in the future. The main purpose of the passage is to give advice on _ . Choices: A. how to overcome our fears B. how to avoid tears in arguments C. how to express our feelings clearly D. how to communicate with people crying
B
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Question: How do you improve your English speaking skills, so that you can communicate more easily and effectively? These tips will help you to become a more confident speaker. Practice where you can and when you can. Any practice is good--- whether you speak to someone who is a native English speaker or not. It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use simple sentence structure that you know is correct so that you can concentrate on getting your message across. Try to experiment with the English you know. Apply words and phrases you know to new situations. Native English speakers are more likely to correct you if you use the wrong word than if you use the wrong grammar. Experimenting with vocabulary is a really good way of getting feedback Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way. Try not to translate into and from your own language. It takes too much time and you will find it difficult to get an English answer right away. You don?t know how to do well. The more you want to act well, the more slowly you act. This will make you more shilly-shally. If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time ,and say things that 'fill' the conversation. This is better than remaining completely silent. Try using ' um',or 'er',if you forget the word. Don't speak too fast! It? s important to use a natural rhythm in speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you. Try to relax when you speak and you,11 find that your mouth does most of the pronunciation work for you. Speak English at normal speed. Final tips --Try to become less hesitant and more confident. --Don't be shy to speak------ the more you do it, the more confident you,11 become. --Remember to be polite------ use "please" and "thank you" if you ask someone to do something for you. Which of the following will the writer agree with? Choices: A. It's not necessary to pay attention to others?body language. B. It doesn't matter that you forget a word when you are speaking. C. When practising English, you must talk with native English speakers. D. Native English speakers will correct your grammar mistakes when you speak.
B
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Question: You may know the English letters A, B and C.But do you know there are people called ABC? You may 1ike eating bananas.But do you know there is such a thing, a "banana person"? How strange! Are these people from "another earth"? No, they are just Chinese people like you and me. ABC means American-born Chinese.An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States.Sometimes,people call an ABC a "banana person".A banana is yellow outside but white inside--their life and minds inside are Westerners, but they look like Chinese outside. Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or Chinese language.Some of them don't speak Chinese.Also, they are not interested in Chinese politics . But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese.can we still call them Chinese people? Yes,of course.They are Chinese.They are overseas Chinese.These people may be citizens of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore.But they have Chinese blood.Their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were from China.They all have black eyes and black hair.But they are not Chinese citizens.For example.we all know the famous scientist C.N.Yang .He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957.Chinese people love him.But he is an American citizen This passage mainly talks about _ . Choices: A. different kinds of bananas B. overseas Chinese C. N.Yang D. the life story of
B
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Question: My problems started after I went to a boarding school. I was only 14, and at first I misses my family a lot. I often called them and cried on the phone. But after two weeks, I found I enjoyed being with my classmates at school. I had many friends who were boys. I thought of them as my best friends - but only friends. I never guessed my friendships with boys would become a problem. Then, three months later, my friends told me that some teachers and girls said I was hanging out with boys all day long in order to get attention from them. Seven months after that, the head teacher Mr. Wang asked the class to choose some students to join the Student Union. I thought I could win for I was doing well in school. I'd already won prizes for the best math and English exams. A week later, the list came out and it didn't include me. I was sad. Mr. Wang came to me and said, "Don't be sad. I know you're excellent! Maybe you are a little distant from the girls in our class. They don't know much about you, so some of them didn't choose you. It doesn't matter. Do your best to get along well with everyone and I think you'll make it next time." Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage? Choices: A. The writer won prizes for the best science and English exams. B. The writer didn't realize that her friendships with boys would cause problems. C. The writer was sad because she failed to join the Student Union. D. The teacher thought she was an excellent student.
A
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Question: What do people apply to their lawns that causes water pollution? Choices: A. manure B. water C. seeds D. chemicals
D
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Question: I was born an albino.No one in my family had ever known what an albino was,what it meant to be an albino,and what had to be done differently because I was an albino. My parents treated me just like they treated everybody else.That was just about the best thing they could have done.It helped me trust myself,so when the annoyances came along,I could deal with them. True,my photo always looked like a snowball with two pieces of coal for eyes.Kids would tease me,asking if I was joining the circus and calling me "Whitey".Like most albinos,I had terrible eyesight,and my grades suffered until eventually I overcame my feeling ashamed of myself and realized it was okay to ask to sit in the front of the classroom so I could see the blackboard better.People stared at me when I held reading material right at the tip of my nose so I could see it well enough to read.Even when I was eight or nine.movie-theater clerks started asking me to pay adult prices because I "looked older". The worst part for me was that because my eyesight was so bad,I couldn't play sports very well.I didn't give up trying,though.And I studied harder. Eventually,I got better at school and loved it.By the time I got to college 1 was double majoring,going to summer school and devoting myself to every kind of extracurricular activity I could find.I had learned to be proud of being an albino.I did my best to make "albino" a positive word.And I decided to make my living with my eyes. I couldn't see well enough to play spots,but with a solid education and the drive to do it.I could make a living involved in the field I loved.I've done it now for more than thirty years in print and in video,and now in cyberspace.People make jokes about how I'm the only "blind editor" they know,but most of the time the jokes are signs of respect.And I make jokes about being an albino. I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania.I now realize that being born an albino helped me to overcome difficulties,gain confidence,and be proud of my personal achievement and humble about my professional accomplishments. Why are people's jokes about the author mostly signs of respect? Choices: A. Because he is an albino. B. Because he has a solid education. C. Because they think he is a great "blind editor". D. Because they think he is proud of his achievement.
C
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Question: Tigers are terrible animals, but a cat is a cute animal. As a mother, the Chinese-American writer Amy Chua is just a tiger . Her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (<<>> ), tells us how she gives her two children education. She says that being strict is the only way to train a child's talent. Her kids had to obey the following rules. To begin with, her kids weren't allowed to watch TV or play computer games. Then, they were not allowed to " hang out " with other kids after school. They had to be the top students in their class. And they had to practice the piano and the violin for hours every day. Of course, she believes this has brought a lot of problems for herself and her kids. But she doesn't mind because her kids have become great. Chua says, like her, most Asian mothers are tigers because they believe their children can achieve a lot if they're pushed hard enough. She says American mothers are really cats. They care more about their children's self-respect . They don't want to be strict with their kids because this may hurt their feelings. With soft words and understanding, they encourage their children to choose for themselves. So is a tiger mom better than a cat mom? It may also depend on the child. The writer of this passage wants to _ . Choices: A. tell that Tigers are terrible animals, but a cat is a cute animal. B. tell us Amy Chua how to give children education. C. tell the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is about animals. D. tell that most Asian mothers are cats
B
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Question: Bob Butler lost his legs in 1965 in Vietnam. Later he returned to the USA and began his life in wheelchair . One day he was working in his yard when he heard a woman calling for help. He began moving towards the woman's house, but something on the ground stopped his wheelchair going through the back door. So he got out of his wheelchair and started to crawl . When Butler got through the back door of the house, he found there was a little girl in the pool. She had no arms and couldn't swim. Her mother was calling for help crazily. Butler got into the pool and pulled the little girl out of the water. Her face was blue, and she was not breathing. Butler did CPR on her right away. As Butler continued doing CPR, he talked to the mother. "Don't worry," he said. "It'll be OK. I was her arms to get out of the pool. I am now her lungs. Together we can make it." Soon the little girl coughed and began to cry. The mother asked Butler how he knew it would be OK. "I didn't know," he told her. "But when my legs were blown off in the war, a little girl in Vietnam said to me in broken English, 'It'll be OK. You will live. I'll be your legs. Together we make it.' Her kind words brought hope to me and I wanted to do the same for your little girl." What did Butler hear when he was working in his yard one day? Choices: A. He heard a little girl crying. B. He heard a woman calling for help. C. He heard his neighbors arguing. D. He heard someone calling his name.
B
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Question: Scientists have claimed a milestone in the drive for new energy--development of the first practical artificial leaf, an advanced solar cell that imitates the process,called photosynthesis ,that green plants use to make sunlight and water into energy. "A practical artificial leaf has been a dream of scientists for decades,"said Daniel Nocera,who led the research team."We believe we have made it.The artificial leaf shows particular promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes of the poor in developing countries. One can imagine villages in India and Africa soon purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology." The leaf is like the shape of a poker card but thinner.Placed in water in a bright sunlight,it could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, which are stored in a fuel cell to produce electricity. The"artificial leaf"is not a new concept.The first artificial leaf was developed more than a decade ago by John Ttlrner.However, it was impractical for wider use,as it was composed of rare,expensive metals and was highly unstable with a lifespan of barely one day. Nocera's new leaf overcomes these problems.It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available,works under simple conditions and is highly stable.Laboratory studies showed that it could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity. The key to this breakthrough is Nocera's recent discovery of several new powerful, inexpensive catalysts,which are able to accelerate the chemical reaction under simple conditions.Right now, Nocera's leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf.Yet he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the device much higher in the future. Daniel Nocera describes his artificial leaf as promising in _ . Choices: A. making an artificial plant that can feed itself. B. finding a new kind of catalyst to produce electricity. C. changing the sunlight and water into electricity directly D. providing electricity for the poor family at a low cost
D
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Question: As we look back at 2007, there are some faces we cannot forget. Here we present three such people as we wave goodbye to 2007. Wang Baoqiang The lead actor of the 28-episode TV drama "Soldiers Sortie," Wang Baoqiang is the TV star with the highest attention in newspapers and magazines. Acting Xu Sanduo, a simple-minded country boy who wins the respect and confidence of his comrades, Wang moved the audience with his tenacity , a rare quality in our times. Yu Dan Studying ancient texts suddenly became popular in modern-day China following the publication of "Yu Dan's Reflections on The Analects," by Yu Dan, a professor at Beijing Normal University, in December 2006. Since then, it has sold 6 million legal copies. Yu is followed by reporters and surrounded at appearances around the nation -- 60,000 people showed up for one Beijing book signing in March. In July, she was selected as one of China's three most beautiful women. Tang Wei Chinese actress Tang Wei finally became famous at the age of 27, after playing in Ang Lee's latest film "Lust, Caution." For many Chinese actresses, being cast by Lee is a ticket to Hollywood. Zhang Ziyi is a good example, having starred in Ang's "Crouching tiger, Hidden Dragon." Tang Wei had waited a long time for her chance and, when it came, she caught it. 2007 was meaningful for her. Yu Dan became popular mainly because _ . Choices: A. people show great interest in ancient texts B. she is a professor at Beijing Normal University C. her books have been sold 6 million copies D. she was very beautiful in people's eyes
A
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Question: O2 molecules stacked on top of each other create weight which is then tallied by a Choices: A. speedometer B. odometer C. barometer D. a microscope
C
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Question: Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, some humans discontinued their wandering hunting and gathering and settled down to farm. Grain was the first domesticated crop that started that farming process. The oldest proven records of brewing are about 6,000 years old and refer to the Sumerians. Sumeria lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers including Southern Mesopotamia. It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation process by chance. No one knows today exactly how this occurred, but it could be that a piece of bread or grain became wet and a short time later, it began to ferment. The Sumerians were able to repeat this process and are assumed to be the first civilized culture to brew beer. They had discovered a "divine drink" which certainly was a gift from the gods. The word beer comes from the Latin word bibere, meaning "to drink", and the Spanish word cerveza originates from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Ceres. A vitamin-rich porridge, used daily, beer is reported to have increased health and longevity and reduced disease and malnutrition . The self-medicating properties of alcohol-rich beer also eased the tensions and stresses of daily living in a hostile world. The use of yeast was not yet known at that time. The success of the fermentation process was left to chance, as the brewers unknowingly relied on yeast particles in the air. Considerable scientific research took place in breweries in the 19th century. A famous work from 1876 by Louis Pasteur was Studies Concerning Beer where he revealed his knowledge of micro-organisms. By establishing that yeast is a living microorganism, Pasteur opened the gates for accurately controlling the conversion of sugar to alcohol. Another discovery in beer brewing was the work of Christian Hansen, a Danish scientist, who successfully isolated a single yeast cell and induced it to reproduce on an artificial culture medium. With the resulting yeast multiplication methods, the purity of the fermenting process has been improved. According to the passage, who was the first to brew beer? Choices: A. The Greeks. B. Christian Hansen. C. Louis Pasteur. D. The Sumerians.
D
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Question: Pearl Buck(1892--1973)was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia. She grew up in China, but was educated at Randolph-Macon Woman's College. After her graduation she returned to China and lived there until 1934 with the exception of a year spent at Cornell University, where she took an MA in 1926.Pearl Buck began to write in the twenties; her first novel, East Wind; West Wind, appeared in 1930.It was followed by The Good Earth (1931),Sons(1932),and A House Divided(1935),together forming a trilogy on the stories of the family of Wang. The Good Earth stood on the American list of bestsellers for a long time and earned her several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the William Dean Howells Medal. She also published The first Wife and Other Stories(1933),All Men are Brothers(1933),The Mother(1934),and This Proud Heart(1938).The biographies of her mother and father, The Exile and Fighting Angel, were published in 1936 and later brought out together under the title of The Spirit and the Flesh(1944). Pearl Buck's works after 1938 are too many to speak about. Her novels have continued to deal with the differences between East and West. Her interest has spread to such countries as India and Korea. Pearl Buck was active in many charity organizations; in particular she set up an organization for the adoption of Asian-American children and took an active interest in children with low IQ. In which part of a magazine would you probably read the passage? Choices: A. People B. Politics C. Travel D. Business
A
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Question: Which can go in the recycled bin Choices: A. duct tape B. hair gel C. Sprite container D. cell phones
C
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Question: "I don't want to write a story about girls!I don't know anything about girls."Louisa May Alcott told her publisher,Mr Niles.But she was desperate for money.She seemed to be the only one in her family who could make some money.Niles had asked her to write something she knew,instead of the romantic adventure stories she had been writing."So I plod away,"Alcott wrote,"though I don't enjoy this sort of thing."It was 1867,and the horrible Civil War was over.Now Alcott could turn her energy to making money. Alcott wrote a simple story of life in her family,their pillow fights on Saturday nights and the amateur plays they performed."Our experiences may prove interesting,though I doubt it."("Good joke."she wrote years later.)Her book described her days growing up with four sisters in a family that had no money.She sketched a loving mother who took time to be interested in each child,and she told of the death of a beloved sister.She portrayed her family and friends in her book Little Women.Finally,in July of 1868,she finished writing.With a sigh and a headache,she sent off all 102 handwritten pages of her book. Niles thought the book was dull,and so did Alcott.But when she received her copies of the book,Alcott thought it seemed better than expected."Not a bit sensational,"she wrote,"but simple and true.We really loved most of it."Niles asked some girls to read Little Women,and they loved it.If girls liked it,Alcott was satisfied. In three months,all the copies of Little Women had been sold out.It was already time to print more books!Niles thought she could sell three or four hundred more copies."An honest publisher and a lucky author made a dull book into a golden egg for ugly ducking,"Alcott wrote in 1885.Later,with a great sign of relief,she was able to write,"Paid off all the debts!Now I feel that I could die in peace.If my head holds out,I'll do all I hoped to do." Which of the following would be used to describe Alcott's book? Choices: A. Simple. B. Boring. C. Magic. D. Skillful.
A
mmlu
Question: Mid-IB at a glance The summer vacation is the time to consolidate your learning and prepare for the year ahead. In July and August Oxford Study Courses will once again hold its Mid-IB Summer School for students half way through their IB Diploma . We'll be back giving another generation of IB students a unique opportunity to sample a way of life enjoyed by students at famous universities. Students who have completed the first year of their IB Diploma can join us and we can help them prepare for their important second year. Students can choose how many subjects they study. Each subject is studied for one week. You can attend up to 5 weeks. The Mid-IB Summer School is held at Cambridge University in the UK (between June 20th and August 1 st) and at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)in Boston, USA (between July 6th and July 25th). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- Student comments * "The classes have shown me new approaches to learning. I have also learned how to approach exam questions and now feel confident in doing so." * "It was cool creating tight and close relationships with other students from around the world, realizing we all had a connection to each other." * "I really enjoyed the level of independence, although I felt like people were watching out for us. I also felt like an Oxford student!" * "I have enjoyed the learning style and the course work has been extremely beneficial academically." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- Enjoy the summer Our Summer School gives you an action-packed social scene with visits to the fun places in the area, organized sports and social events, and advice on how to enjoy your free time in these amazing cities with your new friends. Welcome to contact us at ose@ose-ib.com or on +44(0)1865 521802! The Mid-IB Summer School is intended for the students who _ . Choices: A. have finished their first year of college B. intend to apply for Oxford University C. don't know how to spend their summer vacation D. have completed the first year of their IB Diploma
D
mmlu
Question: Most American students go to traditional public schools.There are about 88, 000 public schools, all over the US.Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools. Charter schools are self-governing.Private companies operate some charter schools.They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools.They receive tax money just as other public schools do.Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning.These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate. Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools.Local, state, or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach.Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them.Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools. The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students.But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools.One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools. The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress.Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools. Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools.Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress. It can be interred from the text that _ . Choices: A. charter schools are part of the public education system B. one-on-one attention should be paid to students C. the number of charter schools will be limited D. charter schools are all privately financed
A
arc_easy
Question: The features below are all present on Earth. Which feature could also be found on the Moon? Choices: A. crater B. clouds C. electrical storms D. nitrogen based atmosphere
A
sciq
Question: Different types of home heating systems all function by producing what type of energy? Choices: A. thermal B. distinct C. natural D. electron
A
sciq
Question: What gives the plant cell strength and protection? Choices: A. the genes B. the cell nucleus C. the protons D. a cell wall
D