When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from China.
When India had not opened up its markets to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans.Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now.
Still, her answer surprised me: “Green tea.”
As long as I can remember she didn’t even drink Indian tea .
I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story.My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses.
At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian.It was a strange country.
How things change! And how soon!
Now every town of any size seems to have a “China Market”.And everyone is talking about China.
The govemment of Indin has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done.A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment(投资)and such a step would “work wonders as it did for China”.
But it’s a two-way street.I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Bangalore to train in software.Meanwhile, all the Indian IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China.
No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to hit about US $15 billion for last year and US $20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments.
No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian(中印)century as the two countries started on January 1 the Sino-Indian Friendship Year.
But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea.
41.According to the passage, the author left _____ for ______.
A.India; China B.China; India
C.China; Longjing D.India; Shenzhen
42.The reason why the writer’s mother asked for Chinese green tea is that_____.
A.she had a son working in China B.she believed it had a curing effect
C.she enjoyed Chinese products D.she was tired of Indian tea
43.The underlined part “it’s a two-way street” in Paragraph 10 probably means ____.
A.The exchanges between Indian and China benefit both.
B.China and India have different traffic rules.
C.Tea trade works wonders in both India and China.
D.Chinese produces are popular in both China and India.
44.It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A.the author was concerned for his mother’s health
B.the author was in favor of drinking Chinese green tea
C.the author was surprised at China’s recent development
D.the author was curious about the growth of India’s IT industry
After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son's school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.
He was shocked. He didn't know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! "And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins (废墟).
As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, "It's too late! They're all dead! There's nothing you can do! " To them he replied with one line, "Are you going to help me now? " And then he kept on digging.
No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead? " He dug for eight hours. . . 12 hours. . . 24 hours. . . 36 hours. . . then, in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son's words. He shouted his son's name, "ARMAND! " He heard back, "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad! "
"What's going on in there? How is it? " the father asked.
"There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When t he building fell down, it made a triangle (三角) , and it saved us. "
"Come out, boy! "
"No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me! "The underlined word "collapsed" probably means " ".
A.break down | B.shake away | C.stand by | D.fall into |
Who came to help the father when he was digging?
A.His wife. | B.Other parents. | C.The firemen. | D.No one. |
Other parents and the firemen wanted to pull him off the ruins because they thought .
A.he was mad |
B.all the children had died in the earthquake |
C.he was too dangerous to others |
D.it was not his job to dig |
How many students were already dead when the father found them in the ruins?
A.Fourteen. | B.Thirty-three. | C.Forty-seven. | D.Nineteen. |
We can learn from the passage that .
A.it took the father one day to find his son and other students |
B.his wife died in the earthquake |
C.his son was the last one to come out of the ruins |
D.the son didn't believe his father would come to save him |
Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it.
For example, if an American boy asks his mother what's for dinner tomorrow, she may say "I'll play it by ear", that means she doesn't have plans for dinner and she will decide later. "Play by ear" used to mean playing music using the sheet music, but now people often use it when they're not talking about music.
There're many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, "Give me a hand", you don't necessarily stretch out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It's not about the color of your hand! You're a green hand when you are very new at your work and don't have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely work together very well.
Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body?An idiom is _______.
A.a phrase or a sentence that means exactly what the words say |
B.a phrase or a sentence that doesn't mean exactly what every word says |
C.so difficult that nobody can understand |
D.something to do with parts of your body |
If a mother says "I'll play it by ear" to talk about the dinner, she means _______.
A.she will cook dinner while listening to music at the same time |
B.she doesn't hear what others are talking about. |
C.she will play music using the sheet music instead of cooking dinner |
D.She doesn't have plans for dinner and will decide later |
When one says "Can you give me a hand?", he means _______.
A.he needs to hold your hand. |
B.he works well with you |
C.he needs your help |
D.he is a new comer and can't help with the situation |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.People use English idioms more in spoken English than in written English. |
B.To understand the culture behind an idiom is important in understanding the idiom. |
C.Idioms make your English more vivid and colorful so they are easy to remember. |
D.You may not understand an idiom even though you know the meaning of each word. |
Here are 4 common English idioms to do with parts of your body and their meanings. Can you match them?
1) to learn something by heart a. to depend on oneself
2) to have sticky fingers b. to know something very well
3) to stand on one's own feet c. to do something secretly
4) to go behind someone's back d. to have the habit of stealing
A.badc | B.bdac | C.cbad | D.cdba |
America’s love of cars and being on the open road has led to the creation of the modern travel or camping trailer (露营旅行车). Some trailers are so well equipped that people can comfortably live in them full time.
Almost all campers (露营车) are considered as recreational vehicles (RV’s). RV’s include motor homes, trailers, house trailers and truck campers. The smaller trailers usually have just enough room for two people to sleep and store a few personal travel items. Some of the larger motor homes include a kitchen, a bathroom, an eating area and even a bedroom.
While tent camping is always an adventure, campers are a fun way to take a long trip, or to spend some more comfortable time in a beautiful setting, like a lakeside campground. So many camper trailers have been designed for people to live in the trailer long term. Some people choose to park their trailers in trailer parks and live in their trailers full time. In America many retired adults choose to spend their time traveling across the country on the open road and bring their trailers with them. Full time use of trailers for these travelers is considered to be a recreational (休闲的) activity.
Camper trailers can also be rented and used for a shorter period of time, such as a camping trip or a road trip. A camper trailer can be a comfortable alternativeto sleeping in a tent if you are camping. If you like traveling at your own pace, a camper trailer is a good choice.What can we know about camper trailers?
A.They are suitable for both long and short trips. |
B.They have to be parked in a trailer park. |
C.They are widely used by young people. |
D.They are becoming more and more popular all over the world. |
What does the underlined word “alternative” mean?
A.Impression. | B.Decision. | C.Solution. | D.Replacement. |
What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To introduce the camper trailer. |
B.To explain how to use a camper trailer. |
C.To encourage people to use camper trailers. |
D.To show the popularity of camper trailers. |
We can learn from the text that smaller trailers ______.
A.usually use less petrol |
B.are easier to drive |
C.usually have room for no more than two people |
D.run faster than bigger ones |
The Weekly Radio Concert
Date / Time: Sept. 5th, 2010 10:30 (Sun.)
Venue(地点): Shanghai Concert Hall
Ticket Price (RMB): 50, 40, 30 yuan
Ticket State: On Sale Now
Booking Office: No. 272 Fengxian Road
Booking Hotline: 62172426, 62173055
Conductor: Chen Shouchang
Programme
1. Jasmine (Jiangsu folk song) Arranged by Chen Dan
2. Under the Silver Light (Xinjiang folk song) Arranged by Yang Hua
3. Wish good luck (Tibetan folk song) Arranged by Shu Yong Gang
4. Arirang Theme and Variations (North Korean folk song) Arranged by John Barnes Jones
5. No.5 Wind Suite (Various countries Dance) Arranged by Alfred Reed
Ⅰ. Square dance (USA)
Ⅱ. Sarabande (France)
Ⅲ. Yamabushi Kagura (Japan)
Ⅳ. Hora (Israel / Romania)
6. Red River Valley (American / Canadian folk song) Arranged by J. D. Proyhal
JAZZ STARS — Cantaloup Island
Date / Time: Sept. 8th, 2010 19:30 (Wed.)
Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall
Ticket Price (RMB): 80, 50 yuan
Ticket State: On Sale Now
Booking Office: No. 272 Fengxian Road
Booking Hotline: 62172426, 62173055
Performance: Shanghai Jazz OrchestraYou can get the tickets for the two concerts ______.
A.in about one week | B.at reduced prices |
C.through the Internet | D.by calling |
Which of the following will be arranged by John Barnes Jones?
A.A Jiangsu folk song. | B.A Xinjiang folk song. |
C.A foreign folk song. | D.A Tibetan folk song. |
Sophie decides to buy two tickets for the second concert at a lower price. How much will she pay?
A.60 yuan. | B.80 yuan. | C.100 yuan. | D.160 yuan. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The two concerts will start in the evening. |
B.The two concerts will be held in different places. |
C.Bob, a pop music lover, may go to the first concert. |
D.Sam, a jazz music lover, may go to the second concert. |
Steve Fossett did not really look like an adventurer, but he reached some of the most difficult goals in sailing and flying.
Fossett was most proud of being the first person to fly around the world alone in a hot-air balloon. To make a trip around the world alone, it was necessary to have an improved autopilot (自动驾驶仪) device. Fossett had one of his team members develop a more advanced balloon autopilot that would allow him to sleep and do other tasks while flying safely.
Steve Fossett attempted the hot-air balloon trip around the world six times. This was not easy to do. He flew in the balloon’s capsule (密封舱) that was too small to stand upright. During his fourth attempt in 1998, he was almost killed during a storm off the coast of Australia. He fell 9,000 meters into the Coral Sea with his balloon’s capsule on fire. He was later rescued at sea.
Fossett successfully made the trip in 2002. The trip started and ended in Australia. He traveled more than 33,000 kilometers for more than 14 days. On this flight, Fossett set other records including a speed record of 322 kilometers per hour. One main problem with earlier balloon flights was the threat of dangerous storms. A team of weather experts e-mailed and talked to Fossett by a satellite telephone to help him avoid such weather.
Steve Fossett’s hot-air balloon is now at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is there as an example for other people to try and succeed in doing something important to them.What did Steve Fossett specially prepare for the trip around the world?
A.He made the balloon’s capsule bigger. |
B.He had an autopilot impvoved. |
C.He formed a team to fly with him. |
D.He improved the balloon’s engine. |
Steve Fossett solved the problem of bad weather on his trip by ______.
A.communicating with experts |
B.using his rich experience |
C.inventing a satellite phone |
D.consulting other adventurers |
We can learn from the text that Steve Fossett was ______.
A.patient and careful | B.modest and easy-going |
C.brave and determined | D.energetic and kind-hearted |
What can we learn about Steve’s flight in 2002?
A.He was rescued during the trip. |
B.He lost his way over the sea. |
C.It lasted over three weeks. |
D.He set a speed record of balloon flight. |