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Question: An increasing number of people are being allowed to finish the working week early during the summer months. Does your boss trust you to spend an afternoon in the sun? Each year the number of companies which offer employees the choice of an early finish to the working week grows. Or, perhaps, each year,more people who work on ordinary Fridays hear about people playing on summer Fridays. When the sun is shining,it makes sense that you should be given Friday afternoons off,right? Sadly,not all managers agree with the policy. Companies that offer employees Friday afternoons off usually expect the hours to be made up. UK publishers Pan Macmillan and Penguin Random House (PRH) are among those offering summer hours. At PRH, those who wish to take off Friday afternoons are expected to work an extra 45 minutes a day from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, a rota ensures each team has been covered. "Most of us don't leave at exactly lpm,"Editor Anderson says. Depending on your workload,you might just leave an hour or so early,but it's still nice to do. " Simon Hayward, CEO of Cirrus, says that the "Summer Fridays" policy requires trust, and that managers need to be seen to take advantage of the offer too. "If a manager offers summer Fridays and then obviously expects employees to work on Friday afternoons, there is a risk associated with it that reduces the sense of well-being .I think there's a genuine fear in some organizations about flexible working hours. Do you trust your employees to do their best for the buti- ness as well as for themselves and their families,or do you fundamentally mistrust them?" Managers in the former camp tend to be comfortable with summer hours. Those in the latter worry that summer Fridays will lead to late Mondays and long-lunch Tuesdays. What is Editor Anderson's attitude towards the policy at PRH?
A. Opposed.
B. Supportive.
C. Neutral.
D. Indiffer-ent.
Answer: B
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Question: Dear World, My son starts school today. It's going to be strange and new to him for some time. And I wish you would treat him gently. You see, up to now, he has been king of his own room. He has been boss of the backyard. I have always been around to treat his wounds, and to comfort his feelings. But now things are going to be different. This morning, he's going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand and start his life. So, World, I wish you would take him by the little hand and teach him the things he will have to know. Teach him there are heroes, leaders and friends in this world. Give him quiet time to think over the mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on the green hill. Teach him to believe in his own ideas, even if everyone else tells him he is wrong. Teach him to stand and fight if he thinks he is right. Teach him never to put a price on his heart and spirit. Teach him gently, World, but don't love him too much, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. This is a big order, World, and see what you can do. He's such a little fellow. The writer wishes her son _ .
A. to treat others gently
B. not to feel strange at school
C. to develop some good habits
D. to be better than other children at school
Answer: C
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Question: The environmental group 350.org has launched a new campaign called Climate Name Change that proposes to revise to how hurricanes are named: call them after policymakers who say that humans are not to blame for global warming. This will save the Katrinas and Sandys of the world from the injustice of having their names attached to major disaster, the group says. And, as a bonus, it will produce some peculiar weather reports. "Rick Perry leaves trail of death," appears under a broadcast titled "Rick Perry: The Tragedy." "Michelle Bachman is incredibly dangerous. If you value your life, please seek shelter from Michelle Bachman," says an official while addressing a news conference. The campaign is unlikely to influence the World Meteorological Organization, which has since 1954 named Atlantic tropical storms from an official list. But the campaign's goal seems less to actually name a hurricane after the speaker of the house, and more to call attention to an issue that this month has reached an alarming level of seriousness. The campaign comes just a month before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its most recent report on the state of global warming and a week after a draft of the report was given away to Reuters. In the draft, scientists concluded with near certainty - about 95 percent sure - that humans are to blame for the worldwide temperature hikes over the last few decades. That was a revision from the 2007 report, which put scientific certainty that human activities were driving global climate change at about 90 percent. And global warming, the report said, is not slowing down - it, actually, is accelerating. That means that sea levels could balloon upward as much as three feet by the end of the century, if emissions continue at their current pace. Still, as the Washington Post Climate notes, hurricanes are not the best sign of global warming. Though current data suggests that global warming will in the future stir up terrible super storms, there is still not enough evidence to support the idea that climate change strengthens the recent hurricanes that have torn at the US's eastern coastline. It can be inferred that _ is one of the policymakers who believe that humans are not to blame for global warming.
A. Katrina
B. Rick Perry
C. Flossie
D. Sandy
Answer: B
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Question: Experts say it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. " Culture shock" is the term these experts use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the experts. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more. There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems---the telephone, post office ,or transportation --may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult. Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new self-image. Culture shock causes a feeling of disorientation . This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience--these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock. According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, _ .
A. the fewer difficulties you may have abroad
B. the more difficulties you may have abroad
C. the more money you will earn abroad
D. the less homesick you will feel abroad
Answer: B
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Question: Do you have any friends? What do you think of friendship ? Here are some opinions from Ann,Pedro,Crystal and Roy. Ann comes from Japan!She likes to have friends who really care about her. She thinks a true friend won't leave her alone when she is in trouble. Besides,she hopes they can teach her English. Pedro is from Canada. He thinks that friendship means giving. If you want others to care about you,you must care about them first. Crystal was born in China. She has the same opinion with Pedro. The real meaning of friendship is giving others something instead of thinking about taking anything back. What about Roy from Japan? He doesn't care about the looks of his friends. In his opinion,a sincere heart is more important than looks. If you are in the same country with Roy,you can write emails to him. _ are in the same country.
A. Roy and Ann
B. Pedro and Crystal
C. Roy and Pedro
D. Crystal and Ann
Answer: A
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Question: Computers are very popular with students now. It's very easy for them to surf the Internet .Most of them go to the Internet bar and spend more than two hours there. They can do their homework,get some information for their study,download music,and send emails on the computer. But some of them spend too much time playing computer games,and it is bad for their study. What can the students do on the computer?
A. They can download music.
B. They can send emails.
C. They can do their homework.
D. All of the above
Answer: D
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Question: My son ,Izzy, was a nine-year-old boy and had been begging me to please let him find his way home by subway, by himself. After all, we live in New York City, and getting around by public transportation is a basic part of life. It is also the first step toward feeling grown-up. So on that sunny Sunday,I gave him a subway map, a transportation card,$20 for emergencies, and a couple of coins so that he could call me if necessary. I didn't give him a cell phone because nine-year-olds lose things. A few days later, I wrote about his adventure,or non-adventure for a newspaper. Little did I realize the idea that a kid could tour the city on his own, and that a mom would let him, was big news. It turned out that many TV shows called me and asked for an interview. Bloggers were going crazy, so I started a blog, too, and letters came pouring in. Finally I found out why this was such a big story: we have become fearful for our children. Fear is hardly a new thing for parents, of course. But the fear of letting our children out of sight for even a second-that's new. How did this happen? How did it become too scary to let kids be kids? I asked the question when the reporter Trevor Butterworth interviewed me. "News reports," he answered. "News reports scare the pants off you. What is scarier than a kidnapped kid no matter how far away?Because there are so many such stories, it starts to feel as if kidnappings are happening all the time. That's why the kid-on-the-subway story surprises the whole world." Izzy probably did a good job. He simply proved that kids could leave home alone and return home safely! But he didn't think it was a big deal. "It was fun," he said. "But I missed some classes because of the interviews." Sometimes it really pays to be brave. The author didn't expect that after she wrote her son's story for a newspaper, _ .
A. a blog would be started in her name
B. her son would receive so many letters
C. many TV shows would want to interview her
D. many TV stations would want to film her son's story
Answer: C
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Question: As bacterial resistance to antibiotics rises, the ability of medical professionals to
A. prescribe anti-anxiety and sleep aids will increase
B. treat non-bacterial infections in humans will decrease
C. treat bacterial-related conditions in humans will decrease
D. treat problems of the digestive system in humans will increase
Answer: C
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Question: My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult. Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who asked me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt's basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to admit to her. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I'd hate to lose to someone else the small dog my father made with a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. David, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on the shoulder. Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most unforgetful in my mind. When I was twelve I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited, I screamed at Steve to come and take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, "Did it hurt you first, Mark?" I didn't know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, "The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is when it hurts you first, and then you think a long, long time." I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me. When Mark admitted his mistakes to Mrs. Holt, he _ .
A. was surprised
B. felt frightened
C. was light-hearted
D. cried before her
Answer: B
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Question: Dear Mr. Plant, I am an enthusiastic camper and longtime X-Ports customer, but after being offended for the third time at your Sierra Vista location, I am writing to complain about your impolite employees. Several months ago ,I bought a tent that leaked the first time I used it and wanted it replaced . When I took it back, your employees accused me of tearing it myself. I left not only withm1, torn tent, but no refund and no satisfaction. A couple of weeks ago , I bought a sleeping bag that was supposed to sleep two people comfort-ably. It didn't. Your employees refused to give me my money back even though I had the receipt. I was asked to leave the store, again with no satisfaction. To my misfortune, my latest purchase , of a piece of camping equipment at your store proyed to be another disappointment. The propane camp stove I bought didn't work properly. When I returned to exchange it, the rude clerk refused to help me because I did not have my sales receipt. It was an even exchange! He said that I was a problem and even asked if I had seen what products I-could purchase at one of your competitor's stores at comparable prices. Was he accusing me of something? Why would I have brought a receipt for an even exchange? Why would I know the price at other stores? Furthermore, the clerk called security and forced me to leave your store-without my camp stove! How can I go camping now? The tent leaks, the sleeping bag is just wrong, and I don't have a stove to keep warm ! Who is going to refund my money for my stove? Who is going to help me get over the abuse I suffered in your store? You, as the area manager must clear these matters up for me immediately! I am sending copies of this letter to your main office and the Sierra Vista Store. Sincerely , Ima Kumpanee What was Ima' s attitude towards the purchase?
A. Doubtful.
B. Surprised.
C. Dissatisfied.
D. Uninterested
Answer: C
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Question: Is been a dream for 30 years but now the world's first flying car is set to hit the roads this year. Ever since the"Back to the Future"movies lit up our screens in the 1980s,designers have dreamt of cars that could take to the sky at the push of a button. And now pilots can order their own "roadable"plane for just PS 127,000. The plane,which has fold-out wings that span 17. 5 ft,has a range of flying distance of 460 miles and can be up to 115 mph. Back on the land,it can also travel at"highway speeds" in car mode . Fuelling the 19 ft long plane couldn't be simpler--you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up. A spokeswoman said,"You can keep you 'light-sport airplane'in your garage. But because _ needs a short runway to take to the air,you will have to drive to your local airport,fly up to 460 miles,land,and drive directly to your destination. You will always be ready to drive or fly. " The spokeswoman added,"Never let bad weather change your trip. You call simply divert and continue on the ground until the weather clears. " There's no risk to you--This is only the chance for you to be the first at your home field to unfold your wings and fly into the future. If you meet with a thunderstorm in your"roadable"plane in the skies,you can_.
A. 1and in a nearby airport until it clears
B. turn back home until it clears
C. 1and and drive on the ground
D. fly high up to 460 miles
Answer: C
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Question: Who is your role model? Normally the answer to this question would be anyone around you who you find truly inspiring. It could also be someone like J. K. Rowling or Martin Luther King Jr. who have proven to be strong and intelligent people. However, in today's world, stars are regarded as role models along with the heroes listed above, despite their intentions or actions. Teens attempt to imitate their actions for two major reasons. First, to be fashionable and accepted by popular culture, and second>>because stars' actions are so well documented by the media that it seems to grab our attention and turns it to following stars' lives. Much of the reports about stars is shocking and exhibits bad morals or lifestyles that aren't right for teenagers. In addition, almost everything stars do is described beyond truth to make a shocking story by taking it to the next level. However, teens must take responsibility for their actions. We can't always blame stars for influencing us. Only you have control over yourself and only you choose to do something. Our bodies and actions are in the hands of no one else. Now, who ever said stars are role models? Whether they choose to be or not, stars set examples as soon as they step into the spotlight. With reporters following and recording every move they make, it is impossible not to be watched and then be imitated. These people influence, teens whether or not they want to. Why should someone who doesn't want to be setting an example set one? So,should we look up to them or to people who are true and good role models? It's our responsibility as teens to know right from wrong, and it's time for us to take responsibility for our actions. In doing so,we will lean toward those inspiring people that want to be setting an example, and follow in their steps to be like them. The author writes the passage mainly to advise the teenagers to _ .
A. have a control over their own bodies and actions
B. be responsible for their own choices and behaviors
C. follow fashionable stars' steps to be more popular
D. choose right role models according to different reports
Answer: B
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Question: When raising children, the small things make big differences in development . Because children are people, not machines, different children need different things, and buying band name clothing and having the perfect haircut or the biggest collection of expensive toys are not the kind of attention that they need. These kinds of things will make children feel rejected and teach them that material things and appearance are more important than love. Children need the attention from their parents. The areas of their lives and the abilities that get the most attention will develop the most. If the majority of parental attention is given to the way they stand or to finishing tasks, these areas will become more developed. When parents focus on finding faults, children will eventually take in all of that criticism. These methods often lead to unmotivated children with low self-esteem . Children need attention to be given to the details of their lives. They need encouragement from their parents. Statements like,"It makes me happy when you play nicely with your brother" will make a child feel good . Identify the specific talent, how it is used, and your reaction to it. Train the young minds to search for their talents with the same kind of attention to the details that may have previously been devoted to fault-finding. It also helps to identify personal qualities to praise rather than external ones based on appearance. Focusing on the details when children do good things is important. They need to know exactly what they did was good and how it made you feel .Parents often spend too much time looking for faults. When parents focus on good things, it results in motivated children with high self-esteem. _ ) are also. Which of the following is the author's opinion?
A. Children at the same age are all the same in many aspects.
B. Parents should focus on those unmotivated children with low self-esteem.
C. Parents should try their best to correct their children' faults.
D. Parents should pay more attention to children's good deeds.
Answer: D
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Question: The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ's death and coming back to life. Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures. In the late 19th century, the strings were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers. Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio's Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach. Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the blocks in Rio de Janeiro?
A. They are always wearing costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos.
B. They always parade through countryside villages singing and dancing.
C. There are no more than 50 blocks today.
D. They don't parade before the show.
Answer: A
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Question: Which of the following best explains why the Sun appears to move across the sky every day?
A. The Sun rotates on its axis.
B. Earth rotates on its axis.
C. The Sun orbits around Earth.
D. Earth orbits around the Sun.
Answer: B
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Question: After battling hard times and danger for over nine months, British teenager Mike Perham made history last month as the youngest person to sail solo around the world. The 17-year-old made the record after he cleared the Panama Canal and then sailed through the Caribbean and got home across the Atlantic. Mike is only three months younger than Zac Sunderland, the 17-year-old American boy who had taken the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor in July. The two youngsters met in Cape Town in South Africa as they crossed the globe in different directions. Mike insisted they were not rivals . "No. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime," he said. Mike may be young, but he is no stranger to sailing adventures. He picked up the hobby at the age of 6 when his father took him out in a small boat on a local lake. Father and son sailed separate boats across the Atlantic when Mike was 14, making him the youngest person to cross that ocean solo. That record gave him the taste for this even greater challenge. On the recent journey, the scariest moment for Mike came when his sailboat was hit by storms in the southern Indian Ocean. "We were picked up by what felt like a 60-foot wave and threw down on our side at 90 degrees," he said. "It felt like I was going right over. Stuff was flying around and I just thought 'Oh no'." At other times, he had to dive into the Pacific and fix problems. He tied himself to the boat, jumped into the water and went to work with a knife in 30-second dives underneath the boat to cut a rope away. Mike said he felt proud that he made his dream come true. "You've got to have confidence in yourself that you will make it," he said. What did Mike believe in?
A. Having confidence in yourself will make you successful.
B. Braveness is important in sailing.
C. One should pick up a hobby as a child.
D. Pride goes before a fall.
Answer: A
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Question: Which of these renewable resources results in an increase in pollution when used to produce energy?
A. water
B. wind
C. biomass
D. geothermal
Answer: C
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Question: If you live in the United States, the law says you can't have a full-time job until you are 16 years old. At 14 or 15, you can work part-time after school or on weekends, and during summer holidays you can work 40 hours each week. Does all that mean that if you are younger than 14, you can't earn your own money? Of course not ! Kids who are between the ages of 10 and 13 can earn money by doing lots of things. Valerie, 11, told us that she made money by cleaning up other people's yards. Susan, 12, said she had started taking art classes and showing her work to people. People ask her to draw pictures for them and they pay her for them. Jasmine, 13, writes articles for different magazines! Earning is learning. By working to earn your own money, you are learning the skills you will need to succeed in life. When you make your own money ,you don't have to depend on someone else. The five dollars that you earn will probably make you feel a lot better in your hand than the twenty dollars you ask for. If you are 15 years old, you can't have part-time jobs _ .
A. after school
B. on weekends
C. during summer holidays
D. on weekdays
Answer: D
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Question: The ocean bottom, a region nearly 2.5 times greater than the total land area of the earth, is even today largely unexplored. Until about a century ago, the deep ocean floor was completely inaccessible and hidden beneath waters averaging over 3,600 meters deep. Totally without light and in the case of intense pressures hundreds of times greater than at the earth's surface, the deep-ocean bottom is a strange environment to humans, in some way as frightening and remote as the outer space. Although researchers have taken samples of deep-ocean rocks for over a century, the first detailed global study of the ocean bottom did not actually start until 1969, with the beginning of the National Science Foundation's Deep Sea Drilling Project(DSDP). Using techniques first developed for the offshore oil and gas industry, the DSDP's drill ship, the Glomar Challenger, was able to maintain a steady position on the ocean's surface and drill very deep waters, taking samples of rocks from the ocean floor. The Glomar Challenger completed 96 voyages in a 15-year research program that ended in November 1983. During this time, it sailed 600,000 kilometers and took almost 20,000 samples of rocks around the world. Those samples have allowed geologists to reconstruct what the planet looked like hundreds of millions of years ago and to make out what it will probably look like millions of years in the future. Today, largely on the strength of evidence gathered during the Glomar Challenger's voyages, nearly all earth scientists agree on the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift that explain many of the geological processes. The sample of rocks drilled by the Glomar Challenger have also provided a climatic record stretching back hundreds of millions of years. The information of past climatic change can be used to predict the future climate. Which of the following is TRUE about the Glomar Challenger?
A. It is a military submarine.
B. It is used to develop tourism.
C. It has gone on over 100 voyages.
D. It made its first DSDP voyage in 1969.
Answer: D
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Question: Welcome to the National Museum of Mathematics(MoMath).it is in New York City.It is America's first math museum.It's also a fun place for both children and their parents. Open the door ,you will open a new world of numbers,shapes and colours,and you will find math is interesting.You can take part in many games and activities.They help you better understand math." We want to give people fun ways to learn math,"MoMath founder Glen Whitney said."Here you can try riding a tricycle with square wheels .You can hop from one point to another and join lines to get pictures." The museum is at 11 East 26th Street in Manhattan and is open from 1 0:00 a.m.to 5:00 P.m.,seven days a week,364 days a year(It is closed on Thanksgiving Day).MoMath closes early on the first Wednesday of every month,at 2:30 p.m.The ticket prices are$1 5 per adult and$9 per child,student,or the old people. MoMath also has a traveling museum-Math Midway.It runs around the country to schools and community centres .So you still can enjoy the fun of math even you live far from New York City. When does the museum close on the first Wednesday in January?
A. At 1 0:00 a.m.
B. At 2:30 p.m.
C. At 5:00 p.m.
D. At 1 0:00 p.m.
Answer: B
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Question: Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the website you've visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping calling habits In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen. Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself partly to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret. The key question is: Does that matter? For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no". When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. 60 percent of respondents say they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me". But people say one thing and do another. Only a small number of Americans change any behavior in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information like social security numbers just to get their hands on a 50-cents-off coupon. But privacy does matter-at least sometimes. It's like health: when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it. According to the passage, privacy is like health in that _ .
A. people will make every effort to keep it
B. its importance is hardly understood
C. It is something that can easily be lost
D. people don't value it until they lose it
Answer: D
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Question: Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short stories, poems or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden years. In fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830's. By the 1850's, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David saw the railroad both as a boon to democracy and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler of nature, furthermore, in its manifestation of speed and noise. _ might be a despoiler of human nature as well. By the 1850's and 1860's, there was a great distrust among writer and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force. Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams lamented the role that the new frenzy for business was playing in eroding traditional values. A distrust of industry and business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays and important role belong to popular culture rather than to the realm of serious art. One thinks of melodramas, boys' books, thrillers, romances, and the like rather than novels of the _ . In the railroads' prime years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made a profession of writing about railroading--works offering the ambience of stations, yards, and locomotive cabs. These writers, who can genuinely be said to have created a genre, the "railroad novel", are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from memory. But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find a treasure trove of information about the place of the railroad in the life of the United States. According to the passage, the railroad played a significant role in literature in all of the following kinds of books except _ .
A. thrillers
B. boys' books
C. romances
D. important novels
Answer: D
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Question: Lily has a black dress. She thinks it's very nice. Black is Lily's favorite color. She doesn't like colorful dresses at all. Lily also has a pair of sunglasses. She bought the sunglasses with all her pocket money Y=20.She thinks they are really cool. She really loves them. Linda is Lily's friend. She has a colorful scarf it's red, white and blue. She likes it a lot. This is Linda's watch. It's brown. Linda thinks it's lovely. Today is Monday, June 14th. Wednesday is Linda's birthday. Lily wants to give her a red and green wallet. _ is Lily's favorite color.
A. Red
B. Black
C. Green
D. Colorful
Answer: B
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Question: The length of daylight changes as the seasons change during the year. What causes these changes in daylight?
A. Earth's tilt on its axis
B. the Sun's tilt on its axis
C. Earth spinning on its axis
D. the Sun spinning on its axis
Answer: A
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Question: Multitasking People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted and can't focus on one activity. And "those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things," said David Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah. Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking or imperative they were. They then evaluated the participants' multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters. Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted. "People multitask not because it's going to lead to greater productivity, but because they're distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important." Sanbonmatsu said. Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn't find out whether people who start out less focused toward multitasking or whether people's recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking. The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. "People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations." said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. "This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they're dangerous." When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research, they _
A. assessed the multitasking ability of the students
B. evaluated the academic achievements of the students
C. analyzed the effects of the participants' tricky mental tasks
D. measured the changes of the students' understanding ability
Answer: A
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Question: An African farmer had heard tales about other farmers who had made millions of dollars by discovering diamond mines. These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and go prospecting for diamonds himself. So he sold the farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent, searching unsuccessfully for the shining stone that brought such high prices on the markets of the world. Finally, broke and worn out, he threw himself into a river and drowned. Meanwhile, back at the farm, the man who had bought his farm happened to be crossing a small river on the property one day when he saw something shining at the bottom of the river. He picked it up. It was a sparkling stone - a good size stone - and, admiring it, he later put it on his fireplace mantel as an interesting curiosity. Several weeks later, a visitor admired the stone, looked closely at it, lifted it in his hand and nearly fainted. He asked the farmer if he knew what he'd found. When the farmer said no, that he thought it was just a piece of crystal, the visitor told him he had found one of the largest diamonds ever discovered. The farmer was astonished. He told the man that his small river was full of these brilliant stones, and his farmland was covered with them. Not all were as large, perhaps, as the one on his mantel, but they were sprinkled generously throughout his property. Needless to say, the farm the first farmer had sold, so that he could search for a diamond mine, turned out to be the most productive diamond mine on the entire African continent. When the second farmer first found a shining stone, he _ .
A. felt sorry for what he had done to the first farmer
B. was excited to see he would soon be very rich
C. found it special and brought it home
D. couldn't wait to share his joy with his friends
Answer: C
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Question: As soon as the woman got into the house, her eight-year-old daughter told her that her younger brother drew so many pictures on the clean wall of his bedroom and left the white wall in a mess. When the woman heard this, she was angry. "Where's your brother now?" "He's hiding himself in the cupboard in his bedroom." The little girl answered. The woman got even angrier. She complained about her son when she went towards her son's bedroom. The six-year-old boy was staying with fear in the cupboard when he heard what his mother said. He knew she got really angry this time. The woman pushed the door open with a loud noise. But when she saw the words and pictures on the wall, her anger soon disappeared. "I love you, mum!" covered the whole wall, with so many hearts around them, and so many stars in the sky. The mother's eyes were full of happy tears. She opened the door of the cupboard, and hugged her son tightly. The boy said "I love you, Mum!" to her mother in a low voice when he was in his mother's arms. It's the most expensive present from her son -- "Love on the wall". Eight years later, the boy suddenly died of heart disease. The mother had kept the wall tidy with great care for nearly fifty years until she was dead. In the mother's heart, it seemed that her son was alive, and always looking at her in the sky with many shining stars around him. Why was the woman angry at first after she heard what her daughter said?
A. Her children fought with each other at home.
B. Her daughter didn't look after her son well.
C. Her son drew pictures on the white clean wall.
D. Her husband left her children at home alone.
Answer: C
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Question: It's hard not to feel cheated and over-charged when you receive unexpected roaming charges while traveling abroad--whether they come from making phone calls or checking e-mails. Jeff Gardner received an $ 11,000 bill from Verizon after spending four days in Jamaica. Before the trip, Mr. Gardner, who runs a fly-fishing business in Grayling, Michigan, said he called Verizon to find out what it would cost to use his cellphone for calls and his wireless card to check e-mails while in Jamaica. He said he was told that calls would be about $ 2 a minute and that there would be no extra charges for data as he was on an unlimited plan. _ . "I don't mind paying a fair amount for fair service, but $11,000 for four days is ridiculous," said Mr. Gardner, who used his phone carefully and economically on the trip. He also tried to check and send e-mails using his wireless card, but quickly gave up after the e-mails didn't go through. Still, his Verizon bill said more than 500,000 kilobytes of data was delivered while he was in Jamaica, an amount Mr. Gardner said is 100 times what he normally uses in a month. As travelers increasingly use smart phones abroad in the same way they do at home--to check e-mails, update Facebook and Twitter and pull up online maps--many are facing costly roaming fees, which providers charge when customers use their phones outside their service area. In fact, roaming charges have gotten so out of hand that the Federal Communications Commission has proposed a plan that would require wireless companies to send their customers a voice or text message when they are approaching their plan's limit, when they have reached that limit and when they are starting to result in roaming fees. Why did Jeff Gardner call Verizon before his trip to Jamaica?
A. To hand over his business.
B. To check his cellphone bill
C. To find out information about Jamaica.
D. To find out information about roaming charges.
Answer: D
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Question: British men are couch potatoes. They spend nearly half their freetime watching TV. They watch more TV than women, do less housework, less charity work and less childcare--but spend more time shopping, a poll suggests. Analysts from Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, interviewed working men and women in 10 countries. Britain, where men devoted 49% of their freetime to the box, came a narrow second to the Hungarians with 51%.German and Norwegian men watched the least TV--just over one third of their spare time. The analysts took the average of the figures for the whole year including holidays and weekends. They broke down the "average day" into five categories --free-time, sleep, meals and personal care, travel, domestic chores and work or study. It shows that British men have four hours and 41 minutes free time each day--20 minutes more than women. But women spend nearly double the amount of time on domestic chores than men. Almost three-and-a-half hours of a woman's day is taken up with domestic work, compared to less than two hours for men. Food preparation makes up the bulk of the chores, with leaning and shopping the next most time-consuming. They further broke down the free-time and domestic categories to show that men spend 137 minutes each day in front of the TV, compared to women's 114 minutes. Women spend slightly more time socializing resting and reading than men, but slightly less time on hobbies, sport and exercise. Universally unpopular with both sexes is culture--accounting for just 2% of both men and women's leisure time. What both men and women don't like in their spare time is _ .
A. taking part in cultural activities
B. shopping
C. enjoying their hobbies
D. doing domestic chores
Answer: A
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Question: Miss Popular I was awkward in middle school: bony and athletic, with a high grade in science and a low one in self-esteem. Though I had a few friends, I wasn't popular. I was picked last in football and I sometimes ate lunch by myself. I remember the day Brittany came to our school. Her teeth were crooked , and she was a little overweight. Not that this mattered though, because she walked around like she was better than all of us. She was outspoken and incredibly frightening, making people lose confidence. Around Brittany, I tried my best to go unnoticed. Standing out or stealing her spotlight could only result in one thing: conflict. Brittany was always the first girl picked for teams; I was lucky if I was picked at all. I was thrown the ball while she stood with the quarterback, chatting about the last party she'd gone to. I had never been to a party before or kissed a boy. One day, a classmate asked me to the school dance. I was flattered. Then Brittany told me during science class that she had persuaded him to invite me. She asked in front of everyone, "Why would anyone even want you?" I went home and cried. Although she was seemingly perfect in everyone's eyes, I wanted to be everything that she wasn't and yet a million times more perfect. Brittany was so frightening and violent, but I wanted to be calm and not at all aggressive. I found Brittany's online profile a few weeks ago. She still had the same chubby face and mocking simile, and had posted half-naked pictures of herself. But as I read on, I realized that Brittany had died in a drunken driving accident a year ago. She had been 16 and pregnant at the time. Suddenly my view of Brittany changed from a bad influence into a struggling little girl whose life was taken before she could understand right from wrong. My experience with Brittany taught me that though we are all innocent in our youth, the choices we make will have great effects on us forever. I will always remember Brittany as that loud, overconfident girl. As part of that shy insecure person I used to be will always keep me modest. The last passage is meant to _ .
A. tell us the reason for Brittany's death
B. present the changed attitude to Brittany
C. show the influences of the youth
D. stress the importance of behaviors
Answer: B
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Question: The expression "a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world. About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria. The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles of silver. The pages can be used as filters to remove harmful microorganisms that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it. Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned. Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages. "The idea of classic texts--that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through _ " she says. Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful. Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Researchers have found a way to save those being ill.
B. Millions of people are in great need of drinkable water.
C. Book pages could provide safe drinking water.
D. Knowledge is as important as drinkable water.
Answer: C
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Question: Suppose you work in a big firm and find English important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English. Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need. Global English Centre General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 3-month (700 yuan), 6-month (1,200 yuan) and one year (2000 yuan) courses. Choice fo morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day, Mon. ~Fri. Experienced college English teachers. Close to city centre and bus stops. Tel:67605270 Add:105 Zhongshan Road,100082 Modern Language School Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills. Small classes (12~16 students) on Sat.&Sum.from2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Native English teachers from Canada and USA. Language lab and computers supplied. 3-month course: (1050 yuan), 6-month course: (1850 yuan) Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056 Tel: 67353019 The 21 sty Century English Training Centre We specialize in effective teaching at all levels. We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan. Entrance exams:1 June and 1 Dec. We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays. Only 15-minute walk from city centre. Call 67801642 for more information. The International House of English 3/6-month English courses for students of all levels at very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week; convenient class hours:9~12 a.m. and2~5 p.m. A 4-month evening classes for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes). Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as a 2nd foreign language. Free sightseeing and social activities. Very close to the Central Park. For further information call 67432308. The 21st Century English Training Center is different from the other three schools in that.
A. its teaching quality is better
B. it is nearest to the city centre
C. its courses are more advanced
D. it requires an entrance examination
Answer: D
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Question: The day my husband fell to his death,it started to snow,just like any November day.His body,when I found it,was lightly covered with snow.It snowed almost every day for the next four months,while I sat on the couch and watched it pile up.One morning,I _ downstairs and was surprised to see a snow remover clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman shoveling my walk.I dropped to my knees,crawled through the living room.And back up stairs so those good people would not see me.I was embarrassed.My first thought was,how would I ever repay them? I didn't have the strength to brush my hair let alone shovel someone's walk. Before John's death,I took pride in the fact that I rarely asked for help or favors,I defined myself by my competence and independence.So who was I if I was no longer capable and busy? How could I respect myself if all I did was sit on the couch every day and watch the snowfall? Learning how to receive the love and support that came my way wasn't easy.Friends cooked forme and l cried because I couldn't even help them set the table."I'm not usually this lazy,"I wept.Finally,my friend Kathy sat down with me and said,"Mary,cooking for you is not a burden. I love you and I want to do it.It makes me feel good to be able to do something for you." Over and over,I heard similar emotions from the people who supported me during those dark days.One very wise man told me,"You are not doing nothing.Being fully open to your sorrow may be the hardest work you will everdo." I am not the person I once was,but in many ways I have changed for the better.My heart is now filled with thanks for people around me.I have been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom that comes from facing one's worst fear and walking away whole.I believe there is strength,for sure,in accepting a dark period of our life. We can describe the writer before her husband died as the following except _ .
A. hard-working
B. independent
C. smart
D. capable
Answer: C
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Question: Mo Yan, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Literature, said he is not sure about whether he is happy after winning the prize. In an interview with China Central Television broadcast on Sunday night, Mo said "I don't know," when a reporter asked if he was happy."Happiness means a healthy body and a total absence of mental burdens, but now I'm under high pressure and bothered by worries. Can I say that I'm happy?" he said. "But if I say I'm not happy, people will consider that I'm striking a pose. How could you be unhappy after winning the Nobel Prize?" Mo, born into a farmer's family in East China's Shandong province, As a 12-year-old during the Cultural Revolution he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the People's Liberation Army and during this time began to study literature and write. His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981. "In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth. This is apparent in his novel Hong gaoliang jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993)," said the academy in a statement of Mo's biography. Red Sorghum was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Mo won the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is worth $1.2 million, on Oct 11 for his "hallucinatory realism" which merges "folk tales, history and the contemporary". Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French and Japanese and many other languages. He is the first Chinese citizen to win the prize.The award sparked strong interest about contemporary Chinese literature among the public, and his books have been flying off the shelves in many bookstores across the country. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Mo Yan is very happy to win the Nobel Prize.
B. More and more readers are buying Mo's books to read in China.
C. Winning the Nobel Prize is not easy.
D. Mo Yan won the prize with the help of Zhang Yimou.
Answer: B
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Question: The end of the World Cup does not mean the end of international competition, in Brazil this year. A major football event will happen in the South American country later this month, but with teams of robots playing the game, which is known as soccer in the United States. The robot teams are guided by teams of humans from around the world. The event is known as RoboCup. Technology students at the University of Pennsylvania are trying for their fourth victory at the competition, which is held this year in the coastal city Joao Pessoa. The students have won the last three RoboCup competitions. Watching robots play football is similar to watching children play the game. The kicks are not good, there's a lot of falling down, and people are there to guide and support the team members. Jian Qiao Li is one of the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania team. He says one goal he has for the robot team is to make sure the machines can find the goal and the ball. He also wants the robots to be able to know where they are on the playing field. And he wants the team to be able to better control the walking and kicking abilities of the robots. Qin He is another leader of the robot team. She says the abilities of the robots increase every year. Ms. He says the US team is meeting its goals. The robots know the differences between the colors green and red, and they can decide where to go and where the ball is on the playing field. She says if there are three robot players on the field at the same time, they will communicate with each other to decide the different responsibilities for each robot. U. S. Team member Christopher Akatusuka hopes for another victory in Brazil. The team has won the RoboCup the past three years in the Netherlands, Mexico and Turkey. "They have every good team player right now. As long as their detection is good, I think they'll be very competitive; we just hope to compete against the real good German teams eventually, because the Germans always do very well, " says Akatsuka. Mr Akatsuka says RoboCup is an exciting technology competition. "Each team develops their own software; basically it's a competition of who has the best software, who has the best decision--making at a given point... it's really exciting, " says Akatsuka. The event begins July 19th and ends July 25th. Some RoboCup participants hope to develop a team of robots that can play against humans by 2050. The same goal for the robots that Jian Qiao Li and Qin He mention is _ .
A. to locate the ball
B. to communicate with each other
C. to play at will
D. to distinguish colors
Answer: A
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Question: The mixing of cold Arctic Ocean water with warm surface Atlantic currents off the northwestern coast of Europe causes which effect?
A. sinking of water as it circulates southwest
B. reversal of current direction back toward the European coast
C. rise in water salinity and upwelling of affected currents
D. rapid evaporation and acceleration of currents toward the pole
Answer: A
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Question: The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki-matsuri) is a festival being held every year in Sapporo, Japan for over seven days in February. Presently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main places of the festival. The 2013 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 5 to 11. The festival is one of Japan's largest and most typical winter events. In 2007 (58th Festival), about two million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of floating statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Susukino sites, in central Sapporo, and at the Satoland site. The festival is thought to be a chance for promoting international relations. International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held at the Odori Park site since 1974, and 14 teams from various areas of the world participated in 2008. The subject of the statues differs and often shows an event, famous building or person from the previous year. For example, in 2004, there were statues of Hideki Matsui, the famous baseball player who at that time played for the New York Yankees. A number of stages made out of snow are also constructed and some events including musical performances are held. At the Satoland site, visitors can enjoy long snow and ice slides as well as a huge maze made of snow. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of local foods from all over Hokkaido at the Odori Park and Satoland sites, such as fresh seafood, potatoes and corn, and fresh dairy products. Every year the number of Statues displayed is around 400 in total. In 2007, ther were 307 statues created in the Odori Park site, 32 in the Satoland site and 100 in the Susukino site. The best place to view the creations is from the TV Tower at the Odori Park site. Most of the statues are lighted in the evening. The Sapporo Snow Festival Museum is placed in the Hitsujigaoka observation hill in Toyohira-ku, and displays historical materials and media of the festival. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. There are long snow and ice slides made of snow at the Satoland site.
B. The best place to view the creations is from the TV Tower at the Satoland site.
C. The Sapporo Snow Festival Museum is placed in Toyohira-ku.
D. There are many local foods sold at the Odori Park and Satoland sites.
Answer: B
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Question: Reading for pleasure is the easiest way to become a better reader in English. It is also the most important way. Some students say they don't want to read for pleasure. They say they want to use their time to learn the rules of the language and new words. They say that pleasure reading is too busy. Many experts say pleasure reading is very important for learning English. Dr Stephen Krashen, a famous expert on learning languages, says that pleasure reading helps you learn many important things about English. Students learn more grammar and more words when they read for pleasure. They also learn more about good writing. Dr Krashen tells us that pleasure reading helps each student in a different way. Each student needs to learn something different. Pleasure reading makes it possible for each student to learn what he or she needs. Reading for pleasure is not the same as studying. When you read for pleasure, you choose your own books, and you don't have to remember everything. There are no tests on your pleasure reading books. Pleasure reading will help you: *learn how English speakers use English *read faster in English *find examples of good writing in English *learn new words *learn about the culture of English speakers From the passage, we know pleasure reading makes it the most impossible for each student to _ .
A. find examples of good writing in English
B. learn new words
C. learn how English writers use English
D. read faster in English
Answer: C
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Question: When I was walking down the street one day, I found a small bag on the ground. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find out the owner's name.There was nothing inside it except some dollars and an old photo--- a picture of a woman and a young girl about twelve years old. I put the photo back and took the bag to the police station.Before I left, the policeman wrote down my name and address.He thought the owner might want to thank me. That evening I went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle.They had also asked a young woman to have dinner with us.Her face was familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her.During our talk, the young woman happened to say that she had lost her bag that afternoon.At once I remembered where I had seen her.She was the young girl in the photo, though she was now much older.She was very surprised, of course, when I told her about the bag. After dinner we went to the police station and she got back her bag.The policeman said to me, "It's a wonderful thing.You not only found the bag, but also the owner of the bag." The writer opened the bag because he wanted to _ .
A. find some money
B. find some letters
C. find the owne r's photo
D. find out whose bag it was
Answer: D
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Question: Riding School: You can start horse - riding at any age.Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9:00 a.m.and 8: 30 p.m.(3: 30 p.m.on Saturdays).There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country.You will need a riding hat. Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.--8:30 p.m. Phone: (412) 396 -6754 Fax: (412) 396 -6752 . Sailing Club: Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage I Sailing qualification.You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid.Have fun with other course members, afterwards in the clubroom.There are 10 weekly two - hour lessons ( Tuesdays 6 p.m.-- 8 p.m.). Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00 p.m.--8:00 p.m. Phone: (412) 396 -6644 Fax: (412) 396 -6644 Diving Centre: Our experienced instructors offer one - month courses in deep - sea diving for beginners.There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely.You only need swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples. Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6: 30 p.m.--8:30 p.m. Phone: (412) 396 -6312 Fax: (412) 396 -6706 Medical Center: The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems.Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also, all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores. Opening Hours: 24 hour from Monday to Sunday Phone: (412) 396 -6649 Fax:(412)396 -6648 Watersports Club: We use a two - kilometer length of river for speedboat racing, and water - skiing, a beginners course consists of ten 20 - minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4: 00 p.m., with lessons all through the day. Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. Phone:(412)396 -6899 Fax:(412)396 -6890 If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings, you may fax _ .
A. (412)396 - 6648
B. (412)396 - 6706
C. (412)396 - 6752
D. (412)396 - 6876
Answer: C
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Question: In 1985, a lionfish was caught off the coast of Florida. Now they can be found not only in the Atlantic Ocean but also in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. And they are continuing to move south. Lionfish are native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. So how did they end up in the Atlantic? Scientists believe some pet owners abandoned their unwanted lionfish and poured them into the sea. Little did they know the trouble their actions would cause. The Atlantic Ocean turned out to be a comfortable home for lionfish. Their venomous spines protect them from sharks and other fish. Female lionfish can spawn every few days, producing as many as 2 million eggs per year. Other big fish would have competed with lionfish for food. Bet overfishing has removed many of these large fish. As a result, the fish have eaten so much that they have grown to be more then three times the size of their cousins in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. "They eat mostly fish," says Stephanie Green, a scientist at Oregon State University. All that eating has caused great changes. Scientists have found that when lionfish are present somewhere, many other fish, which are small enough for them to eat, disappear. Some of the fish they eat are greatly missed in their habitats. For example, parrotfish eat certain plants off corals , which allows corals to grow better. But they are now disappearing due to lionfish. Scientists say lionfish are here to stay. But there are ways to deal with the problem. The key, says Green, is to keep lionfish numbers in check. In Florida, drivers can now go though a special training program and get certified to catch lionfish in areas where fishing is not usually allowed. And a number of restaurants have added the fish to the menu. "It's going to be a long-term battle, but the missing sea species will come back someday," says Green. What is Stephanie Green's attitude to the battle against lionfish?
A. She doubts it.
B. She is hopeful of it.
C. She is worried about it.
D. She thinks it is against the law.
Answer: B
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Question: A crow is sitting in a big tree. She has a big piece of meat in her mouth, "My babies will have a nice breakfast," she thinks. An old fox is looking for his breakfast. He sees the crow and the meat, " How can I get that piece of meat? " he thinks. "Good morning, Mrs. Crow," says the fox. " How are you? " But the crow doesn't say a word. "You have very nice babies, Mrs. Crow," says the fox. " How are they? May I see them? " Still the crow doesn't say a word. "You are very beautiful, Mrs. Crow. And you have a beautiful voice, too," says the fox. " Would you like to sing a song for me? " Mrs. Crow thinks, "How nice Mr. Fox is! I must sing a song for him. " So she opens her mouth, at that time, Mrs. Crow drops the meat into the fox's mouth. Who has a nice breakfast?
A. The crow.
B. The fox and his friends.
C. The baby crows.
D. The old fox.
Answer: D
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Question: Which of these is a source of heat?
A. ice cubes
B. coffee
C. Popsicles
D. ice cream
Answer: B
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Question: Winter is coming, and some parts of the world are already covered with deep snow. The best way to warm those cold hands is a cup of hot sweet chocolate. Hot chocolate has been used for many years to treat diseases and fight bad moods. It's known as a special healthy drink from the 16thto 19thcenturies, and sometimes was taken as a medicine. Nowadays people don't consider hot chocolate as a medicine, but drink even more than ever! There are plenty of tasty and healthy hot chocolate recipes you can try to enjoy the following health benefits of drinking hot chocolate. It improves your brain power The study shows that drinking hot chocolate can help improve your brain power and your brain health. The flavonoids in hot chocolate increase the blood flow and oxygen to your brain, helping you think better. If you want to improve your memory, try drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day. Not only will you improve your memory, but your mood as well. Just make sure you don't use too much sugar in your hot chocolate.[:Zxxk.Com] It improves your mood Chocolate, including hot chocolate, is well-known mood booster. This tasty drink helps fight stress, anxiety, and depression. But the problem is, hot chocolate may contain high amounts of sugar. Consider making sugar-free hot chocolate to get all its mood-improving properties . It can help you lose weight If you are trying to drop a few pounds, drinking hot chocolate can help you achieve your weight loss goal. When made correctly, hot chocolate is a delicious and low calorie drink that you can enjoy every time you have chocolate desire. Besides, drinking a cup of low calorie hot chocolate helps prevent the intake of high-calorie and sugar foods like cakes. Now that you're aware of some of the best health benefits of drinking chocolate, what are you waiting for? Rush into your kitchen and make this fantastic winter drink. In the passage the author mainly talks about _ .
A. different hot chocolate recipes
B. materials used to make hot chocolate
C. side effects from drinking chocolate
D. benefits of drinking hot chocolate
Answer: D
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Question: We live on the Earth. It's our home. But how much do you know about it? The Earth is like a huge ball. Like the other seven planets, the Earth is running around the Sun. It's the third nearest planet to the Sun. It takes the Earth about 365 days to run around the Sun. At the same time, the Earth is going around itself. If you are in space, you can see lots of white clouds over the surface of the Earth. Through the clouds, you can see the blue color of the oceans and the brown color of the land. About 70% of the Earth is covered with water. Why do we have day and night? When the half of the Earth is facing the Sun, it's daytime. As the Earth turns and this half is away from the Sun, night is coming. And it's daytime for the other half. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The Earth only runs around the Sun.
B. The Earth is the nearest planet to the Sun.
C. All the planets and stars run around the Sun.
D. It takes the Earth about 365 days to run around the Sun.
Answer: D
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Question: Mary is from the U.S.A. She has two brothers. Now her family are in China. Her father, Mr. Peterson teaches English in Xihu Middle School. And her mother works in the same school. She teaches English, too. Mary likes red clothes very much. Her mother likes red clothes a lot, too. Mary is a nice girl student. She is in Xihu Middle School .She can speak Chinese. She has many Chinese friends. She teaches them English, and they teach her Chinese. Her two brothers are twins. One is Bob, the other is Bill. They look the same. They are only three. So their grandparents look after them at home. Mrs. Peterson has many toys for the twins. Bob likes toy cars, but Bill likes toy bears. They are happy every day. How many people are there in Mary's family?
A. four
B. five
C. six
D. seven
Answer: D
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Question: Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, s and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed. Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and _ , he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called "Sweetest Day". Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA. Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way. Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?
A. Visiting sick people of the hospital.
B. Visiting children who have lost their parents.
C. Giving friends small gifts.
D. Giving flowers to sweethearts.
Answer: D
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Question: Maybelle said she wouldn't be coming with me to the library. I asked why, and she said she could get all the short stories she wanted off the Internet. Saved walking all the way to the library, and putting up with my long chat on the way there, and on the way back. Maybelle is very direct like that, always has been. "But, Maybelle, we've been walking to the library every' Monday for the last fifty years!" She said," Why don't you get Internet'? We can send each other emails." So I had to get Internet. I called the local high school. They said they'd send me a good student to tell me all about computers and such. Evil thing, this Internet. Makes you lose old friends, forces you to learn new complex ideas, even if you're too old. But Maybelle said you have to be modern; otherwise, you're dead. The kid came the next day. Tall skinny black kid, by tile name of Arsenius, said his work would cost me. I said, "All right. As long as I get Internet." "You need a computer, then you need to get hooked up," he said. "Let's buy a computer and get hooked up, then." "How much you want to spend?" "Whatever it takes." "How many rams you want?" I wasn't going to show him my ignorance, so I said, "Whatever it takes." "Let's go to the mall. You got a car?" "In the garage." When I opened the garage door, he gasped. Daddy's car is still there, a'57 Chevy. I never drive it. Walk everywhere. I said," Let's walk. It's only a mile or so." He said," Let's drive, or you will faint on me in this heat." "Young man, I don't faint, never have. We're walking." "I get paid by the hour," he said. "Walking will cost you a lot more. Also, you feel like carrying a computer a mile or so?" What kind of person is Maybelle?
A. She always says what she means in an honest way.
B. She no longer likes reading in her old age.
C. She doesn't want to be friends with the writer any mort.
D. She doesn't want to keep up with the time.
Answer: A
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Question: Scientists in Israel have discovered a new way to test for water pollution by "listening" to what the plants growing in water have to say. By shining a laser beam on the tiny pieces of _ floating in the water,the researchers said they hear sound waves that tell them the type and amount of contamination in the water. "It is a red light,telling us that something is beginning to go wrong with the quality of water," said Zvy Dubinsky,an aquatic biologist at Israel's Bar Ilan University."Algae is the first thing to be affected by a change in water quality.""The secret," he said,"is to measure the rate of photosynthesis in the algae,meaning the plant's ability to transform light into energy." During photosynthesis,plants also release oxygen into the air. Dubinsky's technique is easy to perform because of the overabundance of algae in the planet's water.Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from algae.A prototype tester that occupies about one square meter of a laboratory desktop,shoots a laser beam at water samples to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae.But not all of the laser's heat is used.Depending on the condition of the algae and the rate of photosynthesis,some of the heat is shot back into the water,creating sound waves,Dubinsky said.With a special underwater microphone,researchers are able to analyze the strength of the sound waves and determine the health of the algae and the condition of the surrounding water. "Algae suffering from lead poisoning,like waste discharged from battery and paint manufacturing plants,will produce a different sound than those suffering from lack of iron or exposure to other toxins," said researcher Yulia Pinchasov.She said that testing algae photosynthesis can determine water quality more accurately and easily than laborintensive methods now used like chemical and radioactive carbon testing. We can infer from the passage that _ .
A. algae can produce a loud sound when polluted
B. algae can die easily from pollution
C. photosynthesis of the algae can only be caused by sunlight
D. photosynthesis of the algae is related to water quality
Answer: D
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Question: Certainly, a well-rounded education is the foundation from which all of us spring forth. I am grateful to the many incredible teachers who have inspired me to do greater things, and have fired my enthusiasm for everlasting learning! I have also been honored to have the most amazing teachers in all of my children's lives. These are extraordinary people who not only teach our children, but love them, challenge them, and provide an environment where a child learns how to learn. But, sometimes I wonder if the outline of our educational plan is lacking something. I watched the movie Easy A with my older daughter. The main character's parents were loving, supportive, and built great confidence in their daughter and developed her ability to handle her own problems. There was a scene where the mother was speaking to the younger child and he announced that he received an "A" on his spelling test. She replied, "That' s great, honey, but everything has spell check these days. " It was funny --- but TRUE ! I don't mean that we shouldn't teach our children how to spell, but maybe some of our time should be spent educating them about the dangers of posting things on Facebook. Maybe we might want to spend time showing them how real life works - the credit card isn't free money - you will have to pay it back at sometime. Oh, and get this - they charge you for borrowing that money. Perhaps, we should spend some time on interpersonal relationships. I worry that our kids do not know how to relate to one another. Choosing a career is a daunting task. My daughter is in her second year in college and has changed her major twice. It' s not that she didn't know what she wanted to do. What she "wanted to do" and the degree she chose did not match. I have learned many college students do not know what they want to do because they haven' t seen what it looks like in the real world. Being a journalist in the real world looks very different from writing stories. Maybe if we spent some time exposing them to real life experience - maybe two or three courses m areas of interest in high school that give them a "feel" for what that particular field would look like, they might be better prepared. I do not know the solution, but it seems that it should at least be a topic of discussion. What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A. Schools should prepare students for the real life.
B. What students learn in school should be practiced in life.
C. Life experience is of greater importance than school education.
D. Students should spend more time discussing practical problems.
Answer: A
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Question: It was 1:30 a.m. Monday at London's Savoy Hotel and, with autograph books and cameras, a group of brighteyed tennis fans of all ages were waiting for just a glimpse of Maria Sharapova . The 17-year-old girl defeated champion Serena Williams 6-1 6-4 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday in London to become the first Russian to win a single title at the championships. A silver lining to a depressing, rain-hit Wimbledon, she has raised heated passion. Nobody was complaining, though, for the 1.83-metre Sharapova has created a welcome wave of interest in tennis, something missing in recent years. Not even Anna Kournikova evoked such passion when she broke on to the scene. To look good on court is one thing, but Sharapova can actually play the game too. Extremely well. She proved it over 13 days at the world's most prestigious tournament. Playing tennis of the highest quality throughout, the Russian's triumph not only lifted the tournament from fits of rain-induced depression but also salvaged(;) the season for the woman's tour. Sharapova was given no easy ride in the tournament, having to beat 1999 champion Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals and twice-champion Serena Williams for the title. Neither caused her much concern. "I don't remember too much about the final," Sharapova giggled. "I was in my own place." She will find it increasingly hard to find any place to call her own from now on after advertisers identified her as the most marketable woman in sport. In Russia she is sensational news. She headlined the news bulletins and was telephoned by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin after her triumph. Sharapova will return to her adoptive Florida home knowing life will never be the same again. But the girl who arrived in the US aged seven with her father and just US$700 is determined not to let fame and riches detract from her number one love, tennis. "I know things will start coming up and that many more things will want to get involved, but I want to keep my head cool and play tennis," she said. Why is Savoy Hotel mentioned in the passage?
A. Because the good-looking Kournikova would break on to the scene.
B. Because the fans wanted to take a picture of Sharapova.
C. Because Sharapova was expected to appear there.
D. Because it gave the fanatics shelter from the rain.
Answer: C
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Question: Once upon a time, an old woman had two large water pots. Each hung on the end of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect, From the river to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. And the other pot was always full. The perfect pot took pride in its talent. But the poor cracked pot felt sad for its own disadvantage. One day by the river the cracked pot said to the woman, "I feel bad about myself, because the crack in me causes water to come out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled and said, "Why are there flowers on your side of the road, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your crack. So I planted flowers on your side of the road, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my house, There would not be this beauty without you. Each of us has our own cracks. But the cracks make our lives so interesting and beautiful." So, to all the cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the road! If each of the two pots could be filled with 20 kilos of water, the woman would probably get _ kilos of water from the river to the house.
A. 10
B. 20
C. 30
D. 40
Answer: C
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Question: The old man woke up before sunrise, as he often did, to walk by the beach and greet the new day. As he moved through the early morning, he saw a young man , bending and reaching and throwing, in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin As he came near, he realized that the young man was not dancing to the day, , but rather bending to check the debris (, ) left by the night's tide , stopping now and then to take starfish and then standing, to throw it back into the sea. He asked the young man the purpose of the effort."The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves ," the young man repied."when the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea." As the young man explained, the old man looked at the beach ."But there are more starflish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference." The young man listened politely. Then he bent down to take another starfish, threw it into the sea and said,"It made a difference for that one." There is something very special in each and every one of us. _ brought the debris on the beach.
A. The sunrise
B. The starfish
C. The early morning
D. The night's tide
Answer: D
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Question: When you have a cold, you must be unhappy because your body becomes hot, and there are pains all over. You don't want to work, you stay in bed, feeling terrible. What makes you ill? It's _ . Germs are everywhere. They are very small and you can't find them with your eyes but you can see them with a microscope . They are very small and there could be hundreds of them in or on a very small thing. Germs are always found in dirty water. When you look at dirty water under the microscope, you can see them in it. Germs are found not only in water. They are also found in air and dust . If you cut your finger , and if some of the dust goes into the finger, it will become big and red, and you will have much pain in it. Sometimes germs will go into your body and you will have pain everywhere. Your parents won't allow you to drink dirty water because _ .
A. dirty water will make you dirty
B. there are many germs in it and germs can make you ill
C. you can see many germs in it
D. it will make your finger red and big
Answer: B
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Question: WASHINGTON--Two-thirds of the world's polar bear population could be gone by 2050 if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the US Geological Survey reported on Friday. The fate of polar bears could be even worse than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be disappearing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species. "There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears," said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. He says Arctic sea ice is already at the lowest this year and is expected to retreat farther this month. That means that polar bears--some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing . Other polar bears could survive beyond that date but many of those could be gone by 2100, Amstrup said. By this century's end, the only polar bears left might live in the Canadian Arctic islands and along the west coast of Greenland. "It is likely to result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world's current polar bear population by the mid 21st century," the report's executive summary said. "Because the observed trajectory of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative ." In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, noting polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their main food. Without enough sea ice, polar bears would be forced onto land, but they are poor hunters once they get out of the water and ice, the researchers said. The bears' disappearance would probably take place as young cubs failed to survive to adulthood and females were unable to reproduce successfully. What was the US Geological Survey intended to do?
A. To determine whether the polar bear was in danger.
B. To measure how fast the sea ice melts in the Arctic.
C. To check the predictions of the computer models.
D. To find out the exact number of the polar bear.
Answer: A
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Question: Nearly everyone is shy in some ways.If shyness is making you uncomfortable,it may be time for a few lessons in self-confidence.You can build your confidence by following some suggestions from doctors and psychologists. Make a decision not to hold back in conversations,What you have to say is just as important as what other people say.And don't turn down party invitations just because of your shyness. Prepare yourself for being with others in groups.Make a list of the good qualities you have.Then make a list of ideas,experiences,and skills you would like to share with other people. Think about what you would like to say in advance.Then say it. If you start feeling self-conscious in a group,take a deep breath and focus your attention on other people.Remember, you are not alone.Other people are concerned about the impression they are making,too. No one ever gets over being shy completely, but most people do learn to live with their shyness. Even entertainers admit that they often feel shy.They work at fighting their shy feelings so that they can face the cameras and the public.Just making the effort to control shyness can have many rewards.But perhaps the best reason to fight shyness is to give other people a chance to know more about you. Which of these can you conclude from reading the article?
A. Shy people never have any fun.
B. Entertainers choose their work to fight shyness.
C. The attempt to overcome shyness is always Successful. .
D. The attempt to overcome shyness is always worthwhile .
Answer: D
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Question: I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work. While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, "Mr Castle, how are you?" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, "It was nice talking to you, Brett." I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh, no. He didn't remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put "Irving" down on my name plate. If he'd have said, "Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?" I'd have been ready for him. There's nothing personal here. The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: you couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I'd say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say, "Oh, thanks a lot." When you say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They feel a little _ . They say, "No one will know." And they put it in your pocket. You say, "I really can't." It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendlything and made the customer feel good. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas. One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something. I had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up. The box boy refused to accept tips because _ .
A. customers only gave small tips
B. some customers had strange ideas about tipping
C. the store didn't allow the box boys to take tips
D. he didn't want to fight with the customers
Answer: C
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Question: a retailer gets an order of aluminum delivered weekly. Where is the aluminum likely coming from?
A. it is coming from a school
B. it is coming from a mystery place
C. it is coming from santa claus
D. it is coming from a merchant
Answer: D
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Question: Every electronic gadget needs good memory. A music player stores songs, albums and playlists. A computer holds schoolwork and programs and remembers how far a player has advanced in his or her favorite game. Mobile phones store names, numbers and hundreds of texts. Now, scientists in California say they have come up with a way to turn a living cell into a memory device. It can store only one tiny bit of information, but it's a start. In the future, a cell-based gadget might travel through the body and record measurements. The benefit to human health could be big: the right tool, for example, might record the earliest signs of disease. Doctors, scientists and other curious people want to know what is happening inside the body, even at levels that can't be seen by the naked eye. So far, there is no device small enough to travel through the bloodstream. If normal machines won't do the trick, perhaps biology will. Scientists who work in the field of synthetic biology are trying to find ways to turn living things into human tools. In the case of the new memory device, bioengineers from Stanford University used the genetic material inside living cells to record information. This genetic material consists of DNA. Found in nearly every cell, DNA carries all of the information that keeps a living thing alive. In the new experiment, the researchers turned DNA from bacteria into a switch. They "flip " a small section of DNA. Then, using the same procedure , the scientists flip the section again--returning it into its normal structure. Using these DNA switches, "We can write and erase DNA in a living cell," bioengineer, Jerome Bonnet, explained to Science News. It might take years before his team or others identity whether a DNA-based memory device might be practical. Right now, it takes one hour to complete a flip. That is far too long to be useful. Plus, a flipped section has a very small little memory--less than what a computer uses to remember a single letter. "This was an important proof that it was doable," Bonnet told Science News. "Now we want to build a more complex system, something that other people can use." What is possible future benefit of the cell-based gadget for people?
A. To detect disease at the earliest point.
B. To help improve the memory.
C. To help people build a body.
D. To replace many electronic gadgets.
Answer: A
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Question: Recently, the TV show Where Are We Going, Dad? has become one of China's most popular TV shows, attracting more than 600 million viewers each week. In this program, five celebrity fathers traveled to six countryside locations across China, including some villages in Beijing, Yunnan, Shandong, Hunan, Heilongjiang and a desert in Ningxia. They took care of their kids without the help of the kid's mothers. At the same time, they also took part in different kinds of activities with their kids together, such as cooking, fishing and selling goods. Why is the show so popular? "It reflects social reality. In big cities, fathers are always busy earning money and making achievements in their career. They don't spare more time with their kids." said Xie Dikui, general director of the show. As the father of a 3-year-old daughter, Xie said that he found his own heart being touched as he made it. "Although these fathers are busy, they are able to spare time for their kids. We can do better than them." _ also happens in some rural areas in China. More and more men from rural areas are now working in big cities, leaving their kids at home under the Grandparents' care. "I have a son and a daughter in my hometown." said Xu Canyong, a 33-year-old man working in Shantou, Guangdong Province. "They come to live with me only during summer and winter vacations. I miss them very much. I want to have them live with us in Shantou, but the cost of living here is too high." said Xu. Five celebrity fathers have ever traveled to _ with their kids.
A. Beijing, Hunan and Heilongjiang
B. Hunan, Heilongjiang and Tibet
C. Yunnan, Ningxia and Hong Kong
D. Yunnan, Shandong and Gansu
Answer: A
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Question: Jeri Solomon is a morning person but Jim, her husband of 11 years, is not. Early in their life, it caused a problem. "When we were planning our wedding, I wanted to have these big discussions at 8 a. m.,when I had been up for two hours and was fresh, but Jim would just be getting out of bed," says the 46-year-old designer from Melrose, Mass. "We ended up getting into many arguments because I thought he had no interest, when really he was just still half-asleep." The couple learned to work around their differences over the years, but their situation isn't uncommon, says Katherine Sharkey, professor at BrownUniversity. "More women tend to be larks, while men are like night owls ," she says. The question is:Why? The answer lies in each person's body clock. "The body clock is about 24 hours, thanks to Earth's 24-hour light-dark cycle," Sharkey says. "But some people have a longer natural cycle, and some are shorter." If yours is on the long side, you're more likely to be a night owl. If it runs short, you're probably an early riser. But your body clock can change over your lifetime. There's a developmental piece-school-age children are generally early birds, while teenagers tend to be night owls, and then as they age, adults gradually turn back into morning people," Sharkey says. Besides the clear problems with being a night owl if you have fl day job, "night owls tend to be more low-spirited, and have a higher dependence on coffee," Sharkey says. But the news isn't all bad. A recent study in Belgium found that night owls can stay more focused as the day goes on, compared with early risers. Morning people, however, also have advantages. "Larks generally sleep better, have more regular sleep, and have more flexible characters," Sharkey says. They also tend to be happier and feel healthier than night owls, according to a recent study from the University of Toronto. What is the purpose of the text?
A. To explain why we get up early or late.
B. To advise every one of us to get up early.
C. To tell us how to change our body clock.
D. To point out morning people's advantages.
Answer: A
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Question: GU Zhaodi, 60, had taken water for granted for years. In fact, no one in the beautiful lake city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province had bothered to spare a thought on water. But all that changed dramatically overnight last month when taps in the city ran dry. Due to a blue-green algae outbreak in Taihu Lake, China's third largest freshwater lake and the source of drinking water for 4 million Wuxi residents ,water from the city's taps became dark and smelly. "I can't believe there is no water for drinking, let alone cooking and washing,"said Gu. The lake was blanketed with the algae, giving off a strong smell of rotting meat. A stone thrown into it took a long time to sink. Experts said that algae usually boom because of hot water and rich chemicals like phosphor in the water. "High temperature and a lack of rain in the past few months helped the growth of algae,"said Zhang Lijun, an official from the State Environment Protection Administration. "However, pollution from human activity should be most blamed for the disaster." Taihu Lake is surrounded by many small factories, which _ in the 1980s.Inthe 1990s,many foreign-funded companies joined in. The industries prospered ,Wuxi has grown into one of the wealthiest cities in East China. But that came at the price of pollution. The lake was treated like a waste dump ,with factories emptying industrial waste and untreated sewage into it. Although, after the government's effort, life in the city has gone back to normal, the one-week crisis rang a bell for the government and local people."It's time to rebuild the beauty of nature, or our lives will be at risk,"said Gu. "A safe environment comes first. Economic growth will be nothing without fresh water to drink and clean air to breathe." said China Daily. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The one-week disaster has made the local people realize the importance of building a beautiful city.
B. It is human activity rather than the algae that is to blame for the water pollution.
C. Only when the environment is safe and friendly can man live a better and healthier life.
D. Environment should be taken into consideration first if a city plans to develop its economic.
Answer: D
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Question: In north America people are always in a hurry.Children have special lessons or sports activities after school.Parents often work late and don't get home until 7 or 8 o'clock at night.More than 50% of women work at full-time jobs,and many people do part-time work.Most North American families don't have time to eat many meals together. When a family takes the time to eat a meal together,often there isn't enough time to prepare the food That is why "fast food "is so popular in North America.People spend about 40% of their dollars on fast food. Fast food is food such as pizza, sandwiches or fried chicken.People usually buy the food from a restaurant chain such as Pizza Hut,McDonald's,or Kentucky Fried Chicken.Fast food saves time,but it is not very nutritious . Fast food is popular in many countries.American fast-food companies now have restaurants all over the world.But not everyone is happy about the spread( of North American fast food.A group of people in Italy want to fight against it.They do not want any more fast-food chains to open restaurants in their country.They also want to fight against the spread of fast food everywhere in the world. The passage is mainly about _ .
A. fast food
B. history of fast food
C. fast food in Italy
D. fast food restaurants
Answer: A
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Question: Dear Dongdong I have been in Hong Kong for a whole week. I will stay here for another week. Hong Kong is really a great place to visit. There's so much to see and do here. And I've done so many wonderful things. I've taken the cable car to the Peak Galleria . I've been to Hong Kong Racing Museum. I've known a lot about horse racing. I've also visited Ladies' Street. In the street I bought some beautiful clothes for my mother. Last night I went to a concert. Chinese traditional music has always been my favourite. This morning I went to Ocean Park and watched the dolphins perform. Dolphins are so clever. They can jump from the water to touch a ball, sway their bodies to music, kiss people and even do math. Mr Host is going to take me to an Italian film festival in Hong Kong Cultural Centre tomorrow. I'm so excited because I have never seen an Italian film before. But some people say they're boring. That's all. Best wishes! Dolphins can't _ .
A. ride bicycles
B. kiss people
C. do math
D. dance
Answer: A
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Question: A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, "I will start my life over again. I will become a writer." This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez's grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother's way of storytelling later influenced his own methods. When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy. During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called "Leaf Storm". For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather's house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez's future success. In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book "One Hundred Years of Solitude", making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. Who influenced Garcia Marquez's writing style?
A. His grandfather.
B. His father.
C. His grandmother.
D. His wife.
Answer: C
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Question: If you're like most students, you may find it challenging to learn a foreign language. However, there are a few tips you can use in order to earn a top grade ---- as well as actually use the skills you've learned. One of the most important and basic lessons in dealing with a foreign language is to learn and understand each concept and lesson before moving on to the next one. If you don't understand one concept but move on to the next chapter anyway, you're less likely to understand the new material. Learning a new language is not only an academic tool, but can help you in your everyday life as well. Being good at another language can help you communicate with other people, and help you when traveling to foreign countries, and even make your resume look better. And it is important to learn correct pronunciation as soon as possible for poor pronunciation can be hard to break. Native speakers of the language as well as others fluent in the language you are learning will appreciate your efforts to learn correct pronunciation. Gather outside materials such as books, study guides, books on tape, and travel books to aid you in learning the language. Your textbooks can't possibly teach you everything you need to know, so seeking outside sources is generally a good rule of thumb to keep in mind. A significant motivator in learning a foreign language is traveling to the country where the language is spoken. That way, you can see firsthand how the language is used, learn the culture, and meet native speakers of the language. Native speakers appreciate sincere attempts of others who take the time to learn their language. Seek out native speakers of your new language in your school or neighborhood. They can help you with many skills, including pronunciation, and they can provide immediate feedback on your progress. This passage is written to _ .
A. explain why learning a foreign language is challenging
B. tell us the importance of learning foreign languages
C. tell us some ways of earning a top grade
D. give us some tips on learning foreign languages
Answer: D
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Question: Akuapem is in the eastern part of Ghana. The sun there shines all the time. The local people are very friendly and hospitable . Now let's have a look at how Akuapem people receive a visitor. A visitor is often welcomed warmly in a family of Akuapem. After the visitor is welcomed into the house, he is offered a seat and water at the very beginning, because the host _ that the visitor must have come from a very long journey and need water. If there is a group of visitors, the host will greet the visitors from right to left. And the host shakes only with his right hand, because Akuapem people think the left hand is not clean. Next, the visitor is asked how his journey was and why he has come. While the conversation is going on, the wife and the children, especially girls, are preparing food for the visitor. The visitor can choose his favorite food. After the visitor finishes eating, the host and the visitor go on with their conversation. Usually this is short one because the visitor is getting ready to say goodbye. When the visitor is leaving, he is often given some food. He is also accompanied by one of the children to the nearest station. The child who accompanies the visitor will not come back home until the visitor leaves safely. Whether he is a close friend or just a stranger, this is always how friendly Akuapem people receive a visitor. Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?
A. The host talks little with the visitor.
B. The child accompanies the visitor to the gate of the house.
C. The host offers the visitor a seat only.
D. The visitor takes some food with him when he leaves.
Answer: D
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Question: Once I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that it would take only a few minutes. Thus, on one evening, three people turned up at my house and were shown into my front room. When they saw the room they were a bit alarmed, for it was laid out as a studio. In front of each easy chair there was a microphone at head height, with wires leading to a tape-recorder in the middle of the floor. I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink. I turned on the tape-recorder and each in turn seriously counted from one to twenty in their best accent. When it was over, I turned the tape-recorder off and brought round the drinks, and for the rest of the evening there was general cheerful conversation--interrupted only by the fact that I had to take a telephone call in another room, which unfortunately lasted some time. Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the tape-recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one, which was turning happily away in the kitchen. The participants, having seen the visible tape-recorder turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones which stayed in front of their chairs, only a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality. And my lengthy absence meant that I was able to obtain as natural a piece of conversation as it would be possible to find. I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the event was over, and gave them the choice of destroying the tape. None of them wanted to--though for some years afterwards it always seemed to be my round when it came to the buying of drinks. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business. Which one is true according to the passage?
A. The writer destroyed the tape.
B. The writer's friends destroyed the tape.
C. The writer did tell his friends what had happened.
D. The writer's friends like to drink.
Answer: C
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Question: matter is made of what?
A. united atoms
B. sound
C. feelings
D. bonds of friendship
Answer: A
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Question: Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be last within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where there is zero logic and dead people can speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the hidden shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just "mental noise"--the random byproducts of the neural repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are regulating moods while the brain is "offline". And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events actually can be bought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better. "It's your dream," says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center. "If you don't like it, change it." Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during rapid eye movement sleep when most vivid dreams occur as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved: the limbic system or the emotional brain is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex--the center of intellect and reasoning, is relatively quiet. "We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day," says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement. This link is shown among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events--until, it appears, we begin to dream. There is probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or "We wake up in a panic," Cartwright says. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep or rather dream on it and you'll feel better in the morning. Casual nightmare sufferers are advised to _ .
A. ask for medical help
B. relax their mind during the day
C. don't take the dreams seriously
D. realize the emotional significance of daily events
Answer: C
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Question: White was the owner of a private school in a town. Last year, he married one of his classmates.The beautiful woman spent much time in learning nothing during middle school. But she wasn't worried about anything in the future, because her parents were very rich and could provide her with everything.So he could make poor Mr White listen to her. Mr White was busy in dealing with school affairs and his wife had to stay at home alone.But she hated the lonely and boring life.Her father introduced her to some businessmen who wanted to employ her .But she wanted to stay with children.So her husband was asked to allow her to work in his school.At first her husband didn't agree with her. She didn't supply money to him any more, so the poor man had to give in.Otherwise , his school would shut down for lack of her money. The woman could not teach students, because she knew neither maths nor physics.She thought she often played in the zoo,so she decided to teach biology.But she didn't know how to teach the subject at all.She thought hard, and finally she decided to bring the students to the zoo. Pointing to a crocodile, she shouted ,"Look at it carefully! It's a whale!" "Excuse me ,madam," said a student. "It's a crocodile!" "Shut up!" Mr White said angrily. "It's a whale!" Which of the following is not true about Mrs White?
A. She was the daughter of a rich man.
B. She often went to the zoo to study animals.
C. She knew nothing about the subject of biology.
D. She was one of Mrs White's classmates.
Answer: B
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Question: The Cuckoo In April, Come he will. In May, Sing all day. In June, Change his tune . In July, Prepare to fly. In August, Go he must! When must the cuckoo go?
A. In April.
B. In June.
C. In July.
D. In August.
Answer: D
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Question: A few years ago, my younger sister and I were the first to board our flight for Norfolk, Virginia. Just as we were about to board the plane, a mechanic came out of the aircraft and blocked the door with his arms. He turned to the flight attendant and hurriedly stated, "We got problems!" I thought to myself, "Why did I have to be the one to hear that? Why couldn't I have been at the back of the line? I didn't need to know that!" Very soon we were back in the terminal, waiting, and then finally back on the plane. I waited for the pilot to give an explanation. Pilots take courses to ease passengers' mind, right? They know what to say to calm nerves. Unfortunately, I didn't think this pilot took that course. Soon his voice thundered throughout the plane, "Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. We had no power on the plane. We have a generator on the ground right now, and we're going to jump-start the engines. Once we get them going, we'll get up in the air and head to Norfolk, and see what happens." See what happens? We were going to get up in the air, and see what happens? Couldn't we have another plan, one that's been worked out just a little better? At this point, all I could do was to laugh nervously. One woman started yelling, "Oh no! We're going to crash!" There were sighs of desperation and anxiety spreading throughout the cabin. Finally, we got up in the air thirty minutes later, and what happened? Nothing ---other than thrust and lift. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched the ground than a round of applause burst out, as everyone throughout the airplane simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. Although, I did sincerely like to have a plan better than "see what happens" worked out when flying --- it really isn't such a bad life strategy. Success will never be guaranteed. The best thing you can do is just get up in the air, and see what happens. Sometimes adjustments would be made in the air, or shall we say, in the middle of the process. The purpose of the text is to _ .
A. introduce a frightening flight experience
B. prove that taking a plane is dangerous
C. show a strategy of making plans
D. tell readers a life strategy
Answer: D
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Question: If you are really interested in music festivals, then you have probably heard of the Bestival Music Festival. It takes place every September on the Isle of Wight, the UK. As it is at the end of summer, people think it's their last chance to go to a festival and have fun before going back to boring work. The dream begins as soon as you start traveling to the island. In order to get to the campsite of the Bestival, you have to take the ferry . The ferry is full of happy festival lovers who are ready to take part in the fantastic music party. After you arrive at the campsite, you can put your tent up. There people talk with each other openly. They are not that cold like those you meet in your everyday life. The festival lasts for four days. During that time you forget all your worries and problems, just like living in a dream. And it is really hard for you to come back to "reality" after that. It seems that it is this kind of music event that makes people gather together. It gives people a real sense of unity. I took part in the Bestival with my friends the year before last. It was so exciting and we all lost ourselves in the beautiful music. We are family sung by Sister Sledge was my favorite. I'm really looking forward to joining in it for a second time. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The Bestival lasts for four days.
B. We are family is a song.
C. The Bestival is held every September in the US.
D. The Bestival can give people a sense of unity.
Answer: C
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Question: There are two deaf men in the small village.One is Mr. Brown and the other is Mr. Green.They live near to each other.They are good friends. They often talk together.They talk about all kinds of things.Sometimes they are worried about their hearing.But one thinks the other is deafer. One day,Mr. Brown comes to Mr. Green's house.Mr. Green is sitting in a chair.He is having a rest.Mr. Brown stops at the door and asks,"Can you hear me?" There is no answer.Mr. Brown goes near and asks again,"Can you hear me?" Again he doesn't hear any answer.Mr. Brown is quite pleased.Still he goes nearer and asks for the third time,still there is no answer.At last,Mr. Brown goes up to Mr. Green and says,"Now I know you are much deafer than me.You don't hear my questions.""I am much deafer?" says Mr. Green,"No,I answered you three times,but you didn't hear my answer." The two deaf men live in _
A. China
B. a city
C. a village
D. a large village
Answer: C
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Question: There are four people in Jim 's family. They are Kate, Jim, their father and mother. Jim is Kate's brother. He is fourteen. Kate is Jim's sister. She is twelve. They are in the same middle school. Jim is in Class One, Grade Three. Kate is in Class Two, Grade One. They are good students. Their father Mr. Green is a teacher. He is thirty-nine. He teaches English in a school near his home. Their mother is a teacher, too. But she teaches Chinese in a different school. Now they are all at home. Now Jim is _ .
A. at school
B. at home
C. on the bed
D. in the classroom
Answer: B
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Question: Why would explorers use a compass when traveling to unknown lands?
A. to locate a direction to travel
B. to measure the quality of drinking water
C. to protect themselves from wild animals
D. to determine levels of humanity in tropical areas
Answer: A
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Question: There once was a boy named Kevin. He met Jessica one afternoon at a park on a hot summer day. They both started talking and became great friends. They spent the whole day together and ate their lunches together next to the pond. Kevin sure enjoyed the park more than he liked going to the beach or store. There were many ducks, frogs, birds and chipmunks playing around the pond. In fact, one of the chipmunks even came up and stole Kevin's car keys when he was eating! Kevin knew that he needed to go have his keys, but the chipmunk ran with an evil smile on its face. Eventually, the chipmunk ran into its hole that he called home. Kevin tried everything he could to have the chipmunk come out with his keys, but he couldn't find out how to make the little guy give up. Finally, Jessica came over and placed a potato chip at the opening to the hole. In seconds, the chipmunk came out with the keys and dropped them in front of Kevin right before grabbing the chip and running back into the hole. The chipmunk then went in to have his snack and left Kevin and Jessica alone. Kevin thought that maybe next time he could go to the park in the early spring or winter so that the chipmunks would be busy sleeping during the cold weather months. Kevin then said goodbye to Jessica and went home. What did the chipmunk do after giving the keys back?
A. Watched TV
B. Got a drink and went to bed
C. Ran to steal someone else's car keys
D. Ate his snack
Answer: D
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Question: Wei Hua had a busy day yesterday. She got up before 7 o'clock in the morning, and quickly washed her hands and face. She got to school early. She had a little rest after lunch, but worked hard in class all day. She played basketball after school, and then she walked home. Wei Hua's pen was broken, so she needed a new one. On her way home she bought a new pen at a shop. When she reached home, she had a short rest and a glass of water. After that she helped her parents. She quickly cooked the supper, and cleaned the house. She watched TV for half an hour after supper. Then she started her homework. She finished it at half past nine. She went to bed before a quarter to ten. She finished her homework _ .
A. at 9:30
B. at 9:00
C. at 10:00
D. at 10:30
Answer: A
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Question: Animals seem to have the sense to eat when they are hungry and they do not eat more than their bodies need. It has been demonstrated that rats will, when given a choice over a period of time, prefer water with vitamins to water without vitamins even though there is no difference in taste or smell between the two water bottles. When a fragrant flavor was added to the vitamin-enriched water, the rats did seem to prefer it and kept drinking it ,even after the vitamins were switched to the clear water. In time, however, they broke _ and went back to where the necessary vitamins were. In a classic experiment, babies of 6 to 12 months old were placed in a cafeteria feeding arrangement, with a wide selection of baby food before them. They were given whatever food they pointed to or appeared interested in. We are told that at first they showed some unusual eating patterns, but that over a period of time they managed to select well-balanced diet. So, in selecting food, rats and babies do seem to know and act on what's best for them. Apparently, there is a kind of "body wisdom", which humans soon lose. Most of us do not eat as wisely as we could. Many of our food preferences are culturally determined and influenced by long-established habits. Some people eat fox, dog and blackbirds, while we eat cows and pigs. So what people eat and how much they eat seems to be greatly influenced by what is going on around them. According to the passage ,adults eating habits differ from those of babies because _ .
A. adults know better than babies what kind of food are good for their health
B. adults usually cannot resist the temptation of various delicious foods
C. adults' eating habits are closely related to the social and cultural customs
D. adults have more choices of food than babies in eating patterns
Answer: C
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Question: The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk, and Benugo Cafe. The museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It has undergone refurbishment and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible. This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun here. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the "Code of Behavior" notices, which include: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries, and no running. Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available. Pros: Many free activities for kids Cons: Can be too warm inside Visit Duration: 1.5 hours Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. Last admission is 5:30 p.m. The Museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year. Admission: Admission to the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities. What is the disadvantage of the museum?
A. Low-level exhibits are too boring.
B. Children may feel slightly hot in it.
C. Parents have to stay with their kids.
D. No staff members attend to the kids.
Answer: B
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Question: Good morning. I'm Chen Hua. Here's my culture report for today, Monday. A new film starts tonight at the student cinema at eight o'clock. The film is Pirates of the Carribean.It's a fantastic adventure film. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are the stars. They are both very popular and famous, and they both act well in this film, and make their characters believable. The story is about an old ship. It sails around the Carribean islands. Depp and Bloom try to find some lost gold. Then they come face to face with some terrible men, and have to fight them. There's lots of action, and the fighting looks really dangerous. They also saves Keira Knightly. She plays Elisabeth, the daughter of a rich man. The scenes with Knightly and Bloom are beautiful and romantic. The film isn't true to life, but it' s very exciting, and some of it is very funny. It' s an enjoyable film, although in my opinion there's too much fighting. But except for that, it's an excellent film. You didn't see it when it first came out, I advise you to go and see it now. I' m sure you' 11 enjoy it. It' s showing all week. There's lots of action in the film because they have to _ .
A. fight the frightening people
B. fight the terrible women
C. make the film interesting
D. make the film exciting
Answer: A
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Question: Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour. The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science. Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebra fish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebra fish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes . The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour. It appears that, like the golden zebra fish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation in the gene for melanosome production. This results in less pigmented skin. However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebra fish genes. Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun, which can cause skin cancer. But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng. Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colours, said Cheng. The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment done on Michael Jackson. Which of the following is NOT mentioned according to the passage?
A. The version of the pigment gene of Asians and that of Africans are the same.
B. Scientists have succeeded in turning the colour of a dark-striped zebra fish into uniform gold.
C. Dark skin can protect bodies from utral-violet rays of the sun.
D. People like pop king Michael Jackson.
Answer: D
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Question: Which best describes the speed of a ball as it is thrown straight up into the air and comes back down?
A. The ball goes up at a constant speed, stops, then comes down at a constant speed.
B. The ball goes up at a constant speed, stops, and increases speed as it comes down.
C. The ball goes slower and slower as it goes up, stops, and then goes faster and faster as it comes down.
D. The ball goes slower and slower as it goes up, stops, and then comes down at a constant speed.
Answer: C
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Question: Emily made a chart that included physical changes and chemical changes. Which change should be categorized as a chemical change?
A. iron becomes rusty
B. a gold bar is melted
C. lake water evaporates
D. a granite rock is polished
Answer: A
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Question: Even plants can run a fever, especially when they're under attack by insects or disease. But unlike human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away--straight up. A decade ago, adopting the infrared scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don't have pest problems. Even better, Paley's Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a colourcoded map showing where plants were running "fevers". Farmers could then spotspray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would. The bad news is that Paley's company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and longterm backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. "This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, " says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago. Plants will send out an increased amount of heat when they are _ .
A. facing an infrared scanner
B. sprayed with pesticides
C. in poor physical condition
D. exposed to excessive sun rays
Answer: C
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Question: The sea is very big. When you look at the map of the world, you will find there is more water than land. The sea covers three quarters of the world. It looks very pretty when the sun is shining on it. It can be very rough when there is a big wind. The sea is also very deep in some places. Some parts of the sea are very shallow. But in some places the depth of the sea is very great. There is one spot, near Japan, where the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep! The highest mountain in the world is about 9 kilometers high. If that mountain were put into the sea at that place, there would be 2 kilometers of water above it! The sea is salty. Rivers, which flow into the sea, carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are more salty than other parts. There is one sea, called the Dead Sea, which is very salty. It is so salty that swimmers can't sink! Fish can't live in the Dead Sea! The sea can be very cold. Divers, who go deep down in the sea, know this. On the top the water may be warm. When the diver goes downwards, the sea becomes colder and colder. Another thing happens. When the diver goes deeper, the water above presses down on him. It squeezes him. Then the diver has to wear clothes made of metal. But he cannot go very deep. Some people who wanted to go very deep used a very strong diving ship! They went down to a depth of eleven kilometers. Why can't people go very deep into the sea?
A. Because of the coldness of the water.
B. Because of the living things in the sea.
C. Because of the pressure of the water.
D. Because of the salt in the sea.
Answer: C
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Question: Qi Haoran, a Junior 1 student at High School Attached to Harbin Institute of Technology, was quite busy over the past winter vacation--and not just with homework. Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign . The 11 students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food."Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven't got enough to eat? Could you please not waste food?"They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day. China in recent years has experienced serious problems with wasted food. CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. It's a tradition that Chinese people offer lots of food when they invite others to dinner. Many even feel that they will lose face if their guests have eaten all their food. Luckily the campaign has got the support of many. In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner gives the guests who have eaten up all that they ordered a sticker. People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers. More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home. Wasting food is a serious problem around the world, not only in China. It's said that 2 billion tons of food ends up as waste every year in our country. This is as much as half of all the food in the world. The UN Environment Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization held a"Think, Eat, Save" program on January 24 to help reduce food waste. To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time. It's important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi. Did you finish your meals today? What did the restaurant in Xinjiang do to support the campaign?
A. The owner would have dinner with those who had eaten up their food.
B. It offered a free meal to the guests who had finished all their food ten times.
C. It gave stickers to the guests who ordered small dishes.
D. It encouraged customers to take leftovers home.
Answer: B
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Question: Soda water is a liquid that has bubbles of carbon dioxide in it. Which term best describes soda water?
A. a mixture
B. a molecule
C. an element
D. a compound
Answer: A
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Question: In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition of each new skill -- the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself. Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness. As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality . Also, parents should realize that "example is better than _ ". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach , their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled. A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment. In terms of moral matters, parents should _ .
A. follow the rules themselves
B. be aware of the huge difference between adults and children
C. forbid things which have no foundation in morality
D. always ensure the security of their children
Answer: A
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Question: Mrs. White comes from America. She is an English teacher in No. 12 High School of Guangzhou. She speaks Chinese a little and often has Chinese classes. She likes here very much. She often says the Chinese people are very nice. She is Lucy and Lily's mom. Lucy and Lily live in America with their dad, Mr. White. They are students. They have some Chinese pen pals. ,. Who do Lily and Lucy live with?
A. Their dad.
B. Their mom.
C. Their teacher.
D. Their Chinese friends.
Answer: A
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Question: Ancient humans were afraid of the sight of comets . Many cultures believed that comets were messages sent by gods, and people thought these messages were warning signs for bad behavior. But today science and technology give us a better understanding of comets. Last week, comet Ison ended its million-year-long journey as it flew straight toward the sun, melting most of the comet. It was hoped that comet Ison would survive this trip around the sun. Because once it got near Earth, it would have produced a great show of lights for us. In ancient times, the coming of comet Ison might have scared people. However, now we can track a comet's journey in our solar system. We can also study what they're made of. There is even a project to launch a spacecraft onto a comet to study them further. Although from the sky they look like great giant fireballs, comets are a collection of gas, ice, dust and small rocks. As a comet goes into our solar system, the sun's solar winds blow some of the dust and gas away, giving the comet a tail. The average size of comets is about 10 kilometers in diameter . But amazingly, their tails can be 150 kilometers long! Comet Ison's diameter was about 5 kilometers. Today, people don't fear comets as much as they did before. Western countries have even developed and old tradition. When people see a comet or meteoroid shooting across the sky, they call it a shooting star, People who get the chance to see one get to make a wish. It is a tradition that lives on today. In ancient times, people thought comets were _ .
A. warning signs sent by gods
B. lucky signs for good behavior
C. great shows of lights
D. flying suns
Answer: A
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Question: Scientists added a record of 715 more planets to the list known to the world beyond the solar system, astronomers said on Wednesday, in February 2014. The additions include four planets about 0.5-2 times as big as Earth that are the right distance from their parent stars for liquid surface water, which is believed to be fit for life. The discoveries were made with the NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope. The telescope, launched in 2009, spent four productive years observing 160,000 target stars for signs of planets passing by, within the telescope's sight. The numbers of planets announced at a NASA press conference on Wednesday increased Kepler's confirmed planets from 246 to 961. Combined with other telescopes' results, the total number of planets beyond the solar system now is nearly 1,700. "We almost doubled, just today, the number of planets known to humans," astronomer Douglas Hudgins, head of planet exploration at NASA Headquarters in Washington, told reporters on a conference call. Many planets' discovery is due to a new technique that analyzes potential planets in _ rather than one at a time. The method was developed after scientists realized that most planets, like those in the solar system, have similar worlds orbiting a common parent star. The newly found planets strengthen the evidence that small planets, two to three times the size of Earth, are common throughout the galaxy . "Generally, wherever (Kepler) can see them, it finds them," said astronomer Sara Seager, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "That's why we have confidence that there will be planets like Earth in outer space." Like the solar system, which has eight planets plus Pluto and other so-called "dwarf planets," the newly found planets belong to families. But unlike the solar system's planets, which are about 150 times farther from the sun than Earth. Most of the planets fly nearer to their parent stars than Venus orbits the sun, a distance of about 67 million miles (108 million km.) NASA and other space agencies are designing new telescopes to discover planets in so-called "habitable zones" around their parent stars where temperatures would be suitable for liquid surface water. Two papers on the new Kepler research will appear in an upcoming issue of 'The Astrophysical Journal'. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. US space telescope discovers more planets
B. Kepler observes many new target stars
C. Scientists believe 715 planets fit for life
D. NASA finds liquid surface water on the planets
Answer: A
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Question: The ocean water near the equator absorbs more heat throughout the year than ocean water near the North Pole. Which of the following best explains this difference?
A. The equator is closer to the Sun.
B. The equator has higher sea levels.
C. The equator receives more direct sunlight.
D. The equator rotates more quickly on Earth's axis.
Answer: C
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Question: A team led by Professor Theoder Berger, from the University of Southern California, can now manipulate brain cells in rats so that memories stored in the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for memory formation, are activated or suppressed . It's said that _ could one day have medical applications. In the study, researcher first trained rats to remember which of two levers they pressed first, then to press the other lever. As the rats performed the task, the scientists carefully monitored the electrical activity in each creature's hippocampus to find the pattern of nerve-cell activity involved in making a solid memory. Using the same glass needles they had used to record the nerve activity, they stimulated nerves in the same pattern and found that the animals' performance in the task got even better. The rats made fewer errors and were able to remember which lever was the"correct"one for a longer period of time. The scientists went a step further and suppressed the rats' memories with a drug called Mk801, which caused them to forget their task. When the animals' brain cells were later stimulated with the"correct"pattern, they remembered again which lever to press. "What's really exciting about this study is that when they played back the'good' patterns--the patterns when the animal got the task right--it did appear to improve memory,"said Dean Buonomano, an associate professor at the University of California. The final goal, Berger said, is to help people with stroke and epilepsy and the like strengthen memories and to help doctors treat them. The technology might even help sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. But first, researchers would have to show that they can stimulate or suppress far more complex memories than the ones in the rat experiment. "Here ,it's a simple task,"Buonomano said. In contrast, humans' memories are very rich and specific... "We have very many steps to go before this can be achieved,"he said. What can we infer from the article?
A. MK801 is a drug that can be used to stimulate nerves.
B. The study is expected to be used to help stroke and epilepsy patients recover completely.
C. Using the study to improve humans' memories still face many challenges.
D. Researchers have studied far more complex memories than the ones in the rat experiment.
Answer: C
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Question: Which item would a magnet attract?
A. iron nail
B. wool cloth
C. wooden stick
D. glass marble
Answer: A
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Question: Sometimes Karen likes to go to the library. Her friend Michael also likes the library, but her other friend James does not like the library. Karen and Michael like to read about different things. They can learn about things that they don't know much about. They also like to read fun and exciting stories. The librarian, Mr. Hernandez, knows Michael and Karen, because they are in the library a lot. He knows what kind of books they like. When the library gets new books, he tells Karen and Michael about any books that he thinks they would like. James only goes to the library when he has to read a book for class. Mr. Hernandez does not know very much about James, because James does not go to the library often. Karen's favorite books are about airplanes, cars, and trains. She like reading about how fast they can go, and about the workers who build them. When she grows up, she is going to buy a fast car and travel to different states. Michael likes books about dinosaurs, cowboys, and fireworks. When he grows up, he is going to buy a costume and dress up like a cowboy. What type of books are Karen's favorites?
A. Books about traveling to different states
B. Books about airplanes, cars, and trains
C. Books about dinosaurs, cowboys, and fireworks
D. Books about librarians
Answer: B
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Question: A chemical reaction may occur when _____ is added to an object.
A. interest
B. warmth
C. puppies
D. loss
Answer: B
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Question: What will you do if you get five million ? Different people give different answers. Sally If I get five million, I want to do business. I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe If I have five million, I will use the money to do everything I like. First, I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will use another two million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive, and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use one million to buy some presents for my family and my best friends. Anna If I have five million, I will put three million in the bank and spend two million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a house with a swimming pool. Jack I will buy an island if I have five million. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island. ,. What does the passage talk about?
A. If one loses money, what will he / she do?
B. If one borrows five million, what will he / she do?
C. If one gets five million, what will he / she do?
D. If one builds a big house
Answer: C
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Question: When a lake is exposed to enough heat over time
A. animals leave
B. it ceases existing
C. plants dry up
D. fish grow ill
Answer: B
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