Seeing a volcano erupt (喷发) is a wonderful experience, and you can really feel the beat by climbing to the summit(山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view. There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua. Giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.
Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua, a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua, you won't miss the Pacaya-tour companies.
But climbing Pacaya is no easy job: it is 2560 metres high, and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements. As you climb, you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above. Steaming. Hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit; the McKenney Cone(火山锥). Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone, the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old, inactive summit.
Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano is plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(熔岩) and the darkening sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils, sending red lava over its sides, and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night. the burning lava quietly falls down tae side of the volcano. For you, too, it is time to get down .
| 1． |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
|
| 2． |
Antigua is a city.
|
| 3． |
Climbing to the McKenney Cone, people will.
|
| 4． |
Many tours are timed for people to.
|
If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don’t blame the service provider．The malfunction（故障） might well have been caused by something bigger -- a solar storm．Experts expect that Earth will see more solar activity in the near future．The malfunction of electronic devices will just one of the effects．
Sunspots（太阳黑子） serve as an indicator of the sun’s activity．For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing．Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．
When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This “solar minimum” doesn’t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo, the next solar maximum.
What’s special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now.
Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether.The sun watcher feel surprised at .
| A．the longest sunspots’ absence | B．the largest sunspot number |
| C．the malfunction of electronic devices | D．the serious damage by sunspots |
What does the underlined word “crescendo” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?
| A．small number | B．high level |
| C．usual cycle | D．fresh start |
We can infer that in the past two years .
| A．solar activities have brought much trouble to our life |
| B．the number of sunspots has increased to a large extent |
| C．the solar minimum took the place of the solar maximum |
| D．our cellphones have seldom been interrupted by the solar storm |
Which statement does the text lead you to believe?
| A．Solar activities do no harm to our daily life. |
| B．Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms. |
| C．It’s difficult to predict sunspots. |
| D．From now on there’ re no sunspots. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The earth is in close contact with the sun. |
| B．Sunspots can cause trouble to our life. |
| C．Introduction of sunspots. |
| D．Introduction of the solar storm． |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything else．
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack．
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming．
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking．
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food．
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large．Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well．
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill （烤肉架）．
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat．
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread．Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled beef．
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious．It is a place that should not be overlooked．When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________．
| A．is splendidly decorated | B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables | D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV． | B．Drinking a kind of black coffee． |
| C．Reading local English newspapers． | D．Discussing world topics in low voices． |
The food of the restaurant ________．
| A．is served in small amounts | B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety | D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________．
| A．occupies a large space | B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food | D．has a quiet environment inside |
Five years ago, Wang Baoqiang was a nobody to most Chinese people. However, he is now a household film star in China.
Wang is the youngest child of a poor family in Hebei province . Dreaming of becoming an actor, he left home at the age of 8 to study kung fu at Shaolin Temple, since kung-fu actors seemed to appear most often on the big screen.
At 14, he moved to Beijing for his acting career for the first time, with little money in his pocket. He worked at a construction site（建筑工地）for 20 to 25 yuan per day, and spent his free time standing in front of the Beijing Film Studio, eager to be chosen as temporary（临时的）actors.
This was the most difficult time for the boy. His opportunity finally came one day after he went for a role in the movie “Blind Shaft”. He was chosen to play a young coal miner. The movie won him three prizes in Thailand, France and Taiwan. But his success didn’t make any difference to his life.
That year, he went home for the Spring Festival. He gave his family his earnings from the movie, around US$250 and then returned to Beijing with 500 yuan, the same amount he had when he first set foot in the city. His life was as simple as before.
Thanks to his natural performance in “Blind Shaft,” he was invited by the famous director Feng Xiaogang to act in the film “A World Without Thieves” in 2004, which made him famous
immediately. People called him “Shagen,” the name of his character in the movie.
Wang’s latest work, “Soldiers’ Sortie” has made him the most popular actor on the Chinese mainland . For the actor, it’s a dream coming true.
“Dreams come true. I think my life is exactly a course of pursuing（追求）dreams. No matter how tough one thing is, I can make it as long as I put great effort into it,” he said. Why does Wang Baoqiang leave for Shaolin Temple at his early age ?
| A．To study kungfu to build up his strength . |
| B．He has seen through the human society . |
| C．To realize his childhood dream to be an actor . |
| D．To make money in support of his family . |
Which of the following films made him win three prizes ?
| A．A World Without Thieves | B．Soldiers’ Sortie . |
| C．Plot Against | D．Blind Shaft |
What would be the best title for this passage ?
| A．The Movies about Wang Baoqiang | B．Pursuing Dreams |
| C．How to Become Famous | D．Overnight Well-known |
Goals can help you do，be and experience everything you want in life．Instead of just letting life happen to you，goals allow you to make your life happen．
Successful and happy people have an idea of how their life should be and they set lots of goals to help them succeed．By setting goals you are taking control of your life．It’ s like having a map to show you where you want to go．Think of it this way．There are two drivers．One has a destination in mind which is laid out for her on a map．She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns．The other driver has no goal or destination or map．She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver，but she drives without an aim around，never getting anywhere，just using up gas and oil．Which driver do you want to be？
Winners in life set goals and follow through on them．Winners decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals．Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident．Goals aren’t difficult to set―and they aren’t difficult to reach．It’s up to you to find out what your goals and ideals（理想）really are．
Research tells us that when we write a goal down，we are more likely to achieve．Written goals can be reviewed regularly，and have more power．Like a contract with yourself，they are harder to neglect（忽视）or forget．Also when you write your goals in a particular way，you are able to make yourself continuously alert（警觉）to situations that will further your goals．The writer gave the example of two drivers to show__________．
| A．how stupid the first driver was |
| B．the importance of having a map and right direction |
| C．how stupid the second driver was |
| D．the importance of setting goals |
According to the passage，successful people are different from unsuccessful ones because
_________．
| A．the successful people set goals for everything and can get help from others |
| B．the unsuccessful people always set unrealistic plans for themselves |
| C．the successful people set goals in their lives and make plans to carry it out |
| D．the unsuccessful people make plans for everything but can not work hard |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
| A．Goals can make you gain everything you want in life. |
| B．Only successful people can be happy. |
| C．If you want to succeed，you need to set long-term goals instead of short-term Goals. |
| D．When we put our goal down on papers，we are more likely to succeed. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Goals help you succeed | B．How to succeed |
| C．Why we always fail | D．A research on setting goals |
When the six very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong ; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University ; when the highest enrollment(录取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact answer without hesitation . The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
There’s no doubt to call this HK craze (狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua University and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (双语) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University be calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it .
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action-taking of mainland universities , they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (学费) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities . It’s time to move.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Some thoughts brought by the enrollment of HK universities. |
| B．Higher education in Hong Kong. |
| C．The competition between HK University and Beijing University. |
| D．The fall of mainland universities. |
Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because________.
| A．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience |
| B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities |
| C．HK Universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study |
| D．Beijing University has lost its worldwide reputation |
From the passage we can see HK universities________.
| A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland |
| B．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular |
| C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there |
| D．are proud of their teaching staff and facilities. |
What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move .” in the last paragraph ?
| A．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students. |
| B．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad . |
| C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to enroll Hong Kong students . |
| D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge . |