The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the fanning culture of China. In the farming economy (经济), oxen are the major animals pulling plows (犁).
Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as “boats on land” for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures.
In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ive in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar (农历), and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.
Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.The words “boats an land” underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to __
| A．animals for taking goods | B．creatures for pulling plows |
| C．treasures of the folk culture | D．tools in the farming economy |
From the third paragraph, we know that __
| A．oxen are no more important today than in the past |
| B．ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup |
| C．oxen are treated as human in some areas of China |
| D．people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month |
Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?
| A．The special role of oxen in farming. |
| B．People’s respect and love for oxen. |
| C．The practical value of an ox’s body. |
| D．The contribution of oxen to the economy. |
Why does the author write the text?
| A．To stress the importance of oxen in farming. |
| B．To introduce the Chinese folk culture. |
| C．To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox. |
| D．To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen. |
Eddie liked music very much when he was at school, but when he went to the university he decided to study medicine instead of music. When he passed his examinations and became a doctor, he had to work in a hospital for some time. There he discovered that a lot of patients were happier and caused less trouble if pleasant music was played to them When Eddie got an office and began to work for himself, he decided to keep his patients happy by having a tape recorder in his waiting-room play beautiful music for them.
But soon after the tape recorder had been put in, Eddie’s nurse heard a woman, who was sitting in the crowded waiting-room one morning, complained, “Here we’re all waiting to see the doctor, and he’s just playing the violin in his office instead of doing his work.”Eddie became a student of medicine at university__________.
| A．because he had lost interest in music |
| B．because he thought medicine was more important than music |
| C．to find out new use of music in hospital |
| D．for reasons unknown from this passage |
Why did Eddie put a tape recorder in his office?
| A．He wanted to help patients waiting to see him pass the time easily. |
| B．He discovered that music was of help to his patients |
| C．He enjoyed listening to music while he worked |
| D．He wanted to attract more patients to his office |
From the passage we can see that__________.
| A．the woman thought Eddie was an unusual doctor |
| B．the woman didn’t understand music |
| C．the woman did not understand what Eddie meant |
| D．the woman hated to be kept waiting |
Students who date(约会) in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
“Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships,” said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students’ academic(学术的) efforts. He found that some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students always had the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
“At all points in time, teachers considered the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit (学分), being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
“Dating a classmate may be as complicated as dating a co-worker,” Orpinas said, “when the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps see the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and could divert (转移) attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school,” Orpinas concluded.According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____
| A．have poorer academic performances |
| B．be more likely to hurt others |
| C．enjoy better school lives |
| D．be less likely to use alcohol and tobacco |
When doing his study, Orpinas ________________.
| A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade |
| B．completed a survey and a report each year |
| C．found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating |
| D．completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts |
What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
| A．They don’t want to see each other any longer. |
| B．They will think it’s reasonable to get depressed. |
| C．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes. |
| D．Their attention to studying will be affected. |
Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____
| A．supportive | B．negative |
| C．positive | D．Unconcerned |
The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a story from a doomsday movie．
Many experts and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a united global effort to hold back greenhouse gas outpouring．In the decades to come, Asia—home to more than half the world's 63 billion people—will change from one climate extreme to another, with tired farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels．
"It's not a pretty picture," said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam．Global warming and changes of weather patterns are already occurring and there is more than enough carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come．
Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come．Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration and widespread human disasters．According to predictions, icebergs will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to evacuate or build sea defenses, storms will become stronger and insects and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms．
All this comes on top of rising populations and demand for food, water and other resources．Experts say environmental worsening such as deforestation and pollution will likely enlarge the results of climate change．
In what could be a sign of the future, Japan was hit by a record of 10 typhoons and tropical storms this year, while two - thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill．
The year before, a winter cold strike and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India．This passage is mainly about ____ ．
| A．present situation and predictions of environmental problems in Asia. |
| B．the weather predictions for Asia in the future and the reasons |
| C．how to improve our environment |
| D．reasons why the world will no longer be suitable for us to live in |
In the future the Asian farmers will have to face the following except ____ ．
| A．food shortages | B．wars |
| C．droughts | D．floods |
The underlined word "doomsday" in the first paragraph may mean____ ．
| A．the hell | B．the end of the world |
| C．a great world war | D．mystery |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Asian climate will change greatly． |
| B．Some islands may be flooded in the future． |
| C．People may meet with some new diseases resulting from water． |
| D．More than 50 million people have been ill in Asia the year before． |
Welcome here! The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be held at The Park Expo and Conference Center. This show will last from Wednesday (March 2) to Sunday (March 6,2012).
Admission : Adults $10.00. Teenagers under 15 free with a paying adult.
Join Lincolnton’s own Tammie Davis as she performs her original country songs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5th.
Special Days: The Spring for Kids First Night Gala benefiting the Council for Children’s Rights will take place from 7 p.m. to 10p.m. on Wednesday, March 2,2012. Tickets are $50 and include an access to Freedom Hall, where you can enjoy delicious food, beverage(饮料)and entertainment free of charge.
Seniors Day(55+):Wednesday is for them. Cost is $7.00 but without coupons(减价优惠).
Hours :Wednesday, Thursday &Sunday :10 a.m.---5p.m.;Friday &Saturday :10 a.m.----9 a.m.
Wheelchairs are available on a first come first served basis for you. The cost is $1.00 and you are required to leave a valid driver’s license or ID.
Parking :All Day Parking: $6.00;Half Day Parking:$3.00; Every Hour Parking:$1.00
For more Information: Come to visit Mardee Woodward in person.
E-mail: mwoodward@southernshows.com
Telephone:704-376-4085 We can learn from the text that the show will ___________.
| A．last only five days |
| B．offer a free parking |
| C．have the only one singer |
| D．take place in a private house |
How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and a child aged 16?
| A．$ 10 | B．$ 30 | C．$ 20 | D．$40 |
We can infer from the text that______________.
| A．old people can visit the show only on Wednesday |
| B．the disabled can use the wheelchairs free of charge |
| C．there are not enough wheelchairs for the disabled |
| D．kids’ tickets on Wednesday don’t include beverage |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms. Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms. Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr. Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms. Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”. Dr. Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in ______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a textbook |
| C．a novel | D．a newspaper |
The crocodile attacked Ms. Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms. Pethrick?
| A．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．Her eyes were badly poked. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |