Passage Twenty (The Law to Keep the Oil Industry under Control)
The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition.”
Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.
The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.
The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.
1.The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to
A.provide more jobs for foreign workers.
B.slow down the rate of its development.
C.sell the oil it is producing abroad.
D.develop more quickly than at present.
2.The Norwegian Government has tried to
A.encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources.
B.prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway.
C.help the oil companies solve many of their problems.
D.keep the oil industry to something near its present size.
3.According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to
A.the development of industry.
B.a growth in population.
C.the failure of the development programme.
D.the development of new towns.
4.In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be
A.a large reduction on unemployment.
B.a growth in the tourist industry.
C.a reduction in the number of existing industries.
D.the development of a number of service industries.
5.Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because
A.they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal.
B.their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.
C.their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.
D.they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.
One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son and his girlfriend in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying(陪伴)the older ones. Later, I discovered that I was completely wrong.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson, ” I said.I decided they must be outside.Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a winter night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation(绝望), I called his girlfriend’s house. His girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone.I was not my usual calm, patient. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts — a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because________.
A.she knew that his girlfriend was a good baby-sitter |
B.she believed he could take good care of the younger ones with the help of his girlfriend |
C.the older children have always loved the younger ones |
D.she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night |
Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that _________.
A.her son had brought his girlfriend home |
B.her son had left home with his girlfriend |
C.she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son |
D.she should have taken the children along with her |
“It was only part of the truth.” implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also _________.
A.had their pictures taken | B.received some gifts |
C.had a birthday party | D.showed off their best clothes |
Which is the best title of this passage?
A.An Evening Out | B.Modern Teenagers |
C.Mother and Children | D.A Precious Birthday Gift |
David: Where would you live if you could choose?
Jane: It’s very difficult to say.
David: What would you do if you lived in Paris?
Jane:
David: You’d soon get tired of it.
Jane: I wouldn’t live in New York. It is too noisy.
David: How about Los Angeles?
Jane:
David: It is said the sun shines every day in Los Angeles. I’d like to live there.
Jane:
David: I would also like to live in a city with a lot of good friends.
A.I’d like to live there, too |
B.And what about the United States? |
C.Los Angeles wouldn’t be a bad idea. |
D.Would you like to live alone? |
E. If I were very rich, I’d certainly choose Paris.
F. As a matter of fact, I’d live in any city where I had friends.
G. Oh, I’d have a house by the Seine, and I could enjoy the scenery.
London, Dec.17 (Xinhua) “Drivers on London Underground trains have started reading out sayings from great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi , Frindrich Engels, and Albert Einstein in a bid to cheer up passengers ,” officials said. As well as the usual announcements urging passengers to “mind the steps” and warning of delays, the sayings such as “ an ounce ( 盎司) of action is worth a ton of theory” have taken the place of commercial ad in the underground carriages .
New York, Oct.8 (Xinhua) Once as a famous actor, now the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to abandon textbooks in favor of digital ones. He plans to launch this program in August next year when California’s high-school pupils will have access to online math and science text. But some teachers wonder whether his idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbook going for $300.
Amsterdam, Nov.30 (Xinhua) A few cups of coffee a day may not only help to put off the disease—dementia(痴呆) but also can treat it, according to Dr. Arendash, who led the research. After giving mice with memory damage water containing caffeine, he found the mice developed better memories and quick thinking. The reason is that caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain and directly affects the disease process. He suggested people should drink five eight–ounce cups of ordinary coffee, two cups of strong ‘coffee shop’ coffee, 14 cups of tea, or 20 cola drinks to get the same amount of 500 milligrams of caffeine.What’s the purpose of putting up sayings on the underground carriages in London?
A.to help passengers to kill time. |
B.to encourage passengers to learn. |
C.to lift the spirits of passengers. |
D.to make money as a commercial ad. |
What can we conclude from the second news?
A.digital textbooks will replace traditional textbooks. |
B.online math is already available to high-school pupils . |
C.digital textbooks are convenient to carry anywhere. |
D.Not all the teachers support their governor’s idea. |
Which of the following statements is true from the third news?
A.The more coffee you drink, the less chance there will be for dementia. |
B.Caffeine can make mice become more and more intelligent and energetic. |
C.Caffeine can affect the process of the disease—dementia and treat it. |
D.Caffeine is a safe drug for all the people for everyday use so enjoy it. |
Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蜡) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
A.It's small in size. | B.It's hard to recognize. |
C.It's covered with wax. | D.It's hidden in trees. |
What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.A bee. | B.A bird. | C.A beekeeper. | D.A honey seeker. |
The honey guide is special in the way____________。
A.it gets its food | B.it goes to church |
C.it sings in the forest | D.it reaches into bees' nests |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Wild Bees | B.Wax and Honey |
C.Honey-Lover's Helper | D.Beekeeping in Africa |
One morning in Philadelphia, the sun shone bright through all the thick jungles and the tall churches. John, 6, wearing the worn-out clothes, walked from a far place, his dark small hands holding a piece of stolen bread.
John stopped for a moment at the entrance to the church and then left tightly holding the bread,
He was an orphan(孤儿), whose parents were killed in World War II leaving him alone in the orphanage for five years, Like many children in the house, he had a lot of free time. Mostly no one took care of them, so they had to learn how to steal those they wanted.
John believed God to be real, so every Sunday morning in any case he would go to the church to have a look and listen to those people singing inside or reading the Bible. He felt only at this moment he was the child of God and so close to God. But he couldn’t enter because his clothes were so dirty. John himself knew it.
John was quietly calculating the times. This was his 45th Sunday at the entrance to the church. He stood on tiptoe(踮着脚尖) for a while and walked away.
As time passed, the pastor(牧师) noticed John and learned from others that he was the small boy who liked stealing things in the orphanages.
On the 46th Sunday, the sun was shining and John came still holding a piece of bread with his dark small hands. When he just stood there, the pastor came out. He felt like running away, but he was carried by the pastor's friendly smile.
The pastor walked up to his side, clearly seeing John's small hands shaking.
"Are you John?"
John didn't answer, but looked at the pastor and nodded.
"Do you believe in God?" the pastor patted John on his head with dust.
"Yes, I do!" This time John told him loudly.
"So you believe in yourself?"
John looked at the pastor, without a word.
The pastor went on saying, "At the first sight of you, I find you're different from other kids because you have a good heart."
His face turning red, John said nervously, "In fact, I'm a thief." With that, he lowered his head.
The pastor didn't speak, but held John's dark small hands, slowly opened them and put them against his wrinkled face.
"Ah" Just at the same time, John shouted and was about to take out his dark small hands. Yet the pastor tightly held his small hands and spread them out in the sun.
"Do you see, John?"
"What?"
"You're cupping the sunshine in your hands."
John blankly looked at his hands: when did they become so beautiful?
"In God's eyes, all children are the same. When they are willing to spread out their hands to greet the sun, the sun will naturally shine on them. And you have two things more than they do. First is courage and the second is kindness." With that, the pastor led him into the church. It was the first time that John went into this sacred place, and at this moment he didn't feel inferior, but the unspeakable warmth.
On that morning greeting the sunshine, John found himself again, along with the confidence, satisfaction, happiness, dreams he had never had.
Twenty years have passed. Now the boy who ever tightly held the bread with his dirt hands has been the most famous cook in Philadelphia and made many popular dishes.
Every Sunday morning, he would personally send the bread he baked to the orphanage. Those children who greeted him with cheers were used to consciously spreading their palms before they got the bread.
Because they all knew when we are willing to spread out our hands to greet the sunshine, the sun will naturally shine on us.The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph is ______________
A.presenting contrasts (对比) | B.showing causes (原因) |
C.offering analyses | D.providing explanations |
Why didn't John go inside whenever he went to the church?
A.He was frightened to be recognized by the pastor |
B.He was not welcomed by those singing in the church. |
C.He was sorry for his dirty clothes and identity as a thief. |
D.He was left alone in the orphanage and nobody cared for him. |
Which of the following questions did John reply certainly?
A.“Are you John?" | B."Do you see, John?" |
C."So you believe in yourself?" | D."Do you believe in God?" |
Which of the following can best describe the pastor's great effect on John?
A.John became a famous cook. |
B.John admitted his bad behavior. (行为) |
C.John believed God to be real |
D.John spread warmth to other orphans. |
According to the passage, the sunshine cupped in hands can bring ________
A.cheers and confidence | B.dreams and imagination |
C.courage and kindness | D.forgiveness and satisfaction |