The Same Story, Different Reports
Belton and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday- makers and other tourists(观光者).
Last August there was a fire at the Sea breeze Hotel in Belton. The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper, The Belton Post:
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Sea breeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors: “Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed.” This was Belton’s first hotel fire for five years.
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one.
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Belton firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Sea breeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Sea breeze Hotel last August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes—we know that firemen went to the hotel.
Now what do you think of the rest of the “news”?Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?
| A．Belton and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer. |
| B．A fire broke out one night in Sea breeze Hotel last summer. |
| C．It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers. |
| D．Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter. |
Which of the following are probably facts?
a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel.
b. A cigarette started the fire.
c. An old lamp started the fire.
d. The fire broke out at night.
e. There has never been a fire in Canfield.
| A．b and c | B．a and d |
| C．c and e | D．a and c |
The Canfield Times used the headline (标题) like this in order to make its readers think _______.
| A．hotels in Belton often catch fire |
| B．hotels in Belton don’t often catch fire |
| C．this was the second fire at the Sea breeze Hotel |
| D．Belton was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe |
The Canfield newspaper gave a report just the opposite to the Belton Post by saying that _______.
| A．the bedroom lamps were very old at the Sea breeze Hotel |
| B．the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place |
| C．the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things |
| D．such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past 5 years |
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama ,it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol(乙二醇),a low-cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze(防冻剂)．
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children's toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner(理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption(腐败)for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six. | B．Five. | C．Four. | D．Three. |
How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A. Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B. The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C. More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B.It can be implied but not clearly stated that________.
| A．Chinese-made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of "Made in China" is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with more Chinese products |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
The passage is mainly about________.
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
What does “it” refer to in the last but one paragraph?
| A．China | B．The European Union |
| C．Chinese officials | D．The Chinese company |
iPhone owners are vainer (虚荣) and spend more on clothes and grooming(仪容) than those who have BlackBerrys and Android phones, new research claims. 
BlackBerry owners earn the most and are more likely to have long-term relationships, while people with Android handsets are most creative and the best cooks.
The study, carried out by TalkTalk Mobile, surveyed 2,000 owners of the three major smartphone brands to determine whether the choice of handset was an extension(延伸) of their personality. The study rated users in various walks of life using a point scoring system including personalities, daily habits and the type of industries they work in.
Other results from the study found that people with an iPhone are more image conscious and generally rate themselves more attractive than those with other handsets. They are most likely to describe themselves as adventurous, bright and are most likely to work in media, publishing and education. They also believe their boss rates them highly. Apple owners also tend to have done more travelling and are the most active on social media sites.
BlackBerry owners were found to be the least punctual(准时的) ,but despite putting in the least hours at work they are the most active phone user—sending more texts and making more calls in the average day than any other phone user. They are more social and have more friends overall. They also earn nearly two and a half thousand pounds a year more than other smarphone owners, with an average salary of $27,406. BlackBerry users classed themselves so loud and mainly work in the health, finance or property sectors. They were also found to drink more tea and coffee each day than any other phone user.
Android owners were found to watch more TV than others and drink the most alcohol—consuming more in an average week than iPhone and BlackBerry drinkers. They have the most jobs in engineering, the government and public services and environmental services. They have the best manners and are more shy and relaxed than their counterparts.
Dan Meader, Director of Mobile at TalkTalk, said, “Many of us have our mobile phones on us almost constantly so they do become an extension of us in many ways. It’s interesting to see then how the choice in handset may reflect different aspects of personality and the results do show some unusual differences.”What do we know about BlaceBerry users?
| A．They work latest. | B．They drink most alcohol. |
| C．They are the highest earners. | D．They are values most by their bosses. |
The underlined words “image conscious”(Paragraph4) mean caring about.
| A．income | B．appearance | C．social media | D．interpersonal relationships |
What were Android users found to be like?
| A．Loud. | B．Brave. | C．Polite. | D．Confident. |
Dan Meader may agree that the kind of mobile phone we use .
| A．will decide the way we live our life |
| B．can be a window into the lives we lead |
| C．can change our personalities gradually |
| D．has become the most important part of our life |
How is the text organized?
| A．By drawing comparisons. | B．By giving reasons only. |
| C．By providing examples. | D．By giving solutions. |
As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have clear memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew （工作人员）. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is especially afraid of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I had a somber feeling on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me abroad, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today，I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general，for me，has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa，however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.Which country does the author live in now?
| A．India. | B．Canada. | C．Belgium. | D．Germany. |
What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
| A．Growing up in India. |
| B．Once staying in Canada. |
| C．Once traveling to Canada with his father. |
| D．His father's stories about his traveling experiences. |
Which of the following is true about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?
| A．The author traveled with one of his parents. |
| B．Both their going and return were by air. |
| C．They traveled in spring that year. |
| D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
| A．a city in India |
| B．a city in Europe |
| C．an airline company |
| D．a travel agency |
The underlined word “somber” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．happy | B．sad | C．angry | D．enjoyable |
Parents should stop blaming themselves because there's not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.
I've seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said. "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him."
He hasn't forgotten them. He' s just decided that he' s not going to use them. She confessed that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.
Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, "I don't like your dress; it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.
"Where did we go wrong?" her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.This text is most probably written by _______.
| A．a headmaster of a middle school |
| B．a specialist in teenager studies |
| C．a parent with teenage children |
| D．a doctor for mental health problems |
The boy on the sofa would most probably be described as _______.
| A．lazy | B．quiet | C．unusual | D．rude |
From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters _______.
| A．pay no attention to them |
| B．feel helpless to do much about them |
| C．are too busy to look after them |
| D．have come to hate them |
What is the author's opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?
| A．Parents have no choice but to try to accept it. |
| B．Parents should pay still more attention to the change. |
| C．Parents should work more closely with school teachers. |
| D．Parents are at fault for the change in their children. |
Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints(抱怨) of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles(过道) .
With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish(美化) one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.What do many single people in Pairs complain about?
| A．The difficulty in meeting people. |
| B．The idea of supermarket dating. |
| C．The items on their grocery list. |
| D．The inconvenience in shopping. |
Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?
| A．The dating supermarket is located in Paris. |
| B．The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings. |
| C．People looking for love must get a basket of a particular colour |
| D．The dating supermarket has very good business. |
According to the writer, a possible way to win a woman’s heart is to _______.
| A．pick up a purple basket |
| B．Buy low-fat food |
| C．embellish your appearance |
| D．buy pet food |
Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?
| A．The supermarket dating is more convenient. |
| B．The supermarket dating is more casual. |
| C．The supermarket dating can be trusted more. |
| D．The supermarket dating is less expensive. |