BTB BUS COMPANY
The BTB BUS Company serves all parts of the city, and also provides an extensive service to nearby towns and villages.
BTB CITY BUSES are usually orange, and operate from 06∶30. There are four kinds of tickets you can use:
Tourist Ranger is the ideal(理想的) ticket for tourists and visitors to the city. The tickets are valid(有效的) for 2, 3 or 5 days, and can be used on all city buses. They cost ￡4, ￡5.5 and ￡7.50.
Monthly Season — Going to work by bus? This is the one for you! For only ￡26.5 you have the freedom of the city for a whole calendar month.
Bus Card — lasts for one day. For ￡2.50 you can travel anywhere on the bus system for one day — but you must clip your card in the machine every time you board a bus.
Single Journey — 50p, valid for just one journey. Clip the ticket when you get on the bus. Books of ten tickets also available(可获得的).
These tickets are only valid on BTB City Buses. They are available from post offices, tobacconists and BTB offices. TICKETS CANNOT BE PURCHASED ON THE BUSES.
BTB COUNTRY BUSES (which are usually blue) serve the towns of Conby, Rashville and Grill as well as numerous villages in the area. Services run from 07∶00 to 21∶30.
Tickets are bought on the bus. The minimum fare is 75p, increasing with distance. Buses depart from the main railway station and Coshley Square.
A MAP of the routes for both City and Country buses can be obtained (price 20p) from the BTB offices at the main railway station or 27 Part Square. Timetables for both services can be found at the bus stop.
9. If you are staying in the city for two days and want to see the city as much as possible, which ticket is the best for you?
A. Tourist Ranger. B. Monthly Season.
C. Bus Card. D. Single Journey.
10.Which of the following statements is not true?
A. Bus Card is the best ticket if you want to show your friend around on a Saturday.
B. Tickets for the BTB blue buses can be purchased on the buses.
C. You can buy tickets for the orange BTB buses from post offices, tobacconists, BTB offices or on the buses.
D. The four kinds of tickets are valid on BTB orange buses.
11.To catch a bus to Rashville, you should probably go to______.
A. the towns of Conby B. Coshley Square C. Grill D. BTB offices
We've used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind(磨碎) corn, which is where the term "windmill" comes from.
We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propellor on the top. The wind blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these towers together, to make a "wind farm" and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It's only worth building wind farms in places that have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans（大篷车）increasingly have small wind generators to help keep their batteries charged.
The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains—places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several “wind farms” supply electricity to homes around Los Angeles.
The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines(垂直涡轮机), which don't need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming. The first paragraph aims to introduce to us _______.
| A．the function of wind power | B．the source of wind power |
| C．the nations using wind power | D．the history of using wind power |
How does a wind power work?
| A．The generator turns the propellor blades and produce electricity. |
| B．The tall tower helps turn the energy in the air into electricity. |
| C．Warm air rises and makes the propellor move round. |
| D．The propellor blown round by wind turns the generator to produce electricity. |
The best places for building the wind farm are places where _______.
| A．boats and caravans can often be seen | B．isolated farms don’t have enough electricity |
| C．there are less human activities | D．the wind is strong and reliable |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．wind farms will not take up too much farming land |
| B．wind farms need no fuel because wind is free |
| C．the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from |
| D．the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is |
What can be a suitable title for the passage?
| A．Where to build a wind farm. | B．ABC of the using of wind energy. |
| C．How to make best use of wind. | D．Wind energy is the best energy. |
Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands, but if you have teenagers, you'll know they're actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future.
Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers' shoe choice. 
KEDS/VANS
Slip-on shoes with elastic (弹性的）sides are particularly popular among teenage boys - with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS
The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait（步法）, this leads to short- and long-term problems such as calluses（茧子）, heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS
These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer's body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists（足科医生）have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on, with a small heel and a deep toe-box that does not press the toes, such as Clark's, Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing 'bad' shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矫形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage. Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?
A．Marks & Spencer . |
B．Wedges & Stilettos. |
| C．Keds and Vans. | D．Ballet Pumps. |
Which pair of shoes may not be found on the podiatrists’ wish list?
The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．worsen | C．stop | D．cure |
From this passage we can infer _______.
| A．trendy shoes may ruin teenagers’ health |
| B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them |
| C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes |
| D．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes |
In which column of Mail Online can you find this passage?
| A．Sports. | B．Science. | C．Health. | D．Shopping. |
Britain’s seed bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.
The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical gardens—will officially deposit the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.
More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew's giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.
The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.
The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human consumption.
Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.
It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last decade alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.
"It is urgent a
nd it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation（植被）every year." Smith said.
Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.
For Kew's next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?
| A．To collect enough money for the project. | B．To safeguard food crops. |
| C．To protect wild plants from extinction. | D．To help scientists study wild plants. |
The wild banana seed in China is in danger because of _______.
| A．the expanding of farming work | B．the climate change in this area |
| C．the large number of Asian elephants | D．human’s large consumption |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world |
| B．India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present |
| C．there is only one seed bank in the world at present |
| D．the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out |
What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?
| A．The extinction of plant species. | B．The Millennium Seed Bank Project. |
| C．Britain’s seed bank. | D．Kew Gardens’ next goal. |
Which of the following information isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．The global partnership of collecting wild plant species. |
| B．The temperature condition of the conservative wild plant species. |
| C．The government’s financial support for the seed bank project. |
| D．Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species. |
The amount of carbon taken in by growing plants increased from 1982 through 1999 as
temperatures rose and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased. But a new study
in Friday ’ s edition of the journal Science found a drought - related decline in such plant growth
from 2000 to 2009，even though temperatures continued to climb.
As drought caused by warming reduces the land ’ s ability to take in carbon，the result could
be more carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere，and thus more warming，Zhao Maosheng from the
University of 
Montana explained in a telephone interview.
“This is a pretty serious warning that warmer temperatures are not going to endlessly improve
plant growth ’” co - author Steven Running，also from the University of Montana ’ said in a
statement. “ We see this as a bit of a surprise，and potentially significant on a policy level because
previous interpretations suggested global warming might actually help plant growth around the
world, “ he said.
Instead, he and Zhao found a small but measurable decline of about 1%，compared to a6%
increase in the past decade.
Their study，based on the data collected by NASA satellites，found that north areas continued
to increase plant growth，thanks to warmer temperatures and a longer growing season.
Someone commented, "This past decade’ s net decline in earthly productivity suggests that a
complex relationship between temperature, rainfall, cloudiness, and carbon dioxide, probably in
combination with other factors such as nutrients(营养）and land management，will determine
future patterns and trends in productivity.，，From the first paragraph, we can learnin
the recent decade or so.
| A．the emission(排放)of carbon hasn’ t been reduced |
| B．draught has been causing loss of soil and water |
| C．carbon dioxide levels have been rising |
| D．the rise of temperature doesn' t promote the plant growth |
Zhao Maosheng really worried that.
E.more and more land will be abandoned
F.the climate becomes warmer and warmer
G.the emission of carbon dioxide increases
H.draught further reduces the number of the plantsSteven Running made his statement to.
I.confirm Zhao' s views on the influence of temperature rise
J.urge the government to take necessary measures
K.warn the people to strengthen the plant protection
L.support Zhao* s views on lhe plant productionWe can infer from the passage that.
| A．global warming will determine the future productivity |
| B．various factors play a key role jointly on future productivity |
| C．earthly productivity actually increased in the past decade |
| D．temperature rise has had no effect on future producticity patterns |
The Japanese economy is at a standstill，Japan ’ s government has said, as concerns about the
strong yen(曰元）continue to grow. The recovery in the economy was “pausing"，the CabinetOffice said in a monthly statement.
It is the most negative that the government has been about the economy in nearly two years.The rising yen and a slowdown in global demand for Japanese exports were blamed for the setback.
In recent months, the government has insisted that the economy is “picking up". But it saidit now expected the economy to Femain weak for some time, with “weakening" exports a chiefconcern. It said shipments to Asia in particular were becoming weaker, further hitting exportersthat are already suffering from the strong yen.
The yen remains near a 15 - year high against the US dollar, despite the financial interfer-ence (干预）in the currency markets last month for the first time in six years.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan(菅直人）has also passed a $ 63 billion stimulus(剌激）package in an effort to protect exporters who have seen the poor exchange rate eat into their prof-its. At the close of markets in Tokyo，the yen was trading at 81.44 yen to the dollar, just off thehigh of 81.27 yen.
"If the economy turns out as expected, we may end up describing the current situation as asoft patch，” one of die government officials said ’ “ But if it comes under further downwardpressure,
it could end up slipping into recession(衰退）.”The Japanese government think the current bad economy situation is partly due to.
| A．the decline of the strong yen | B．the unsatisfactory exports |
| C．the government' s mistaken policy | D．the decline in the quality of goods |
In recent months, the government has a(n) attitude towards the economy situation.
| A．shocking | B．negative | C．optimistic | D．aggressive |
From the passage we know the government has taken measures mainly to.
| A．protect the foreign markets | B．protect profits of its hitting exporters |
| C．monitor the yen exchange rate | D．stimulate domestic demands |
The passage could probably be found in.
| A．government white paper | B．a science fiction |
| C．a travel journal | D．a newspaper report |