.
The third theme of geography is movement. As people travel around the world, exchanging goods, ideas and interests, the global community is transformed. Take surfing, for example, the sport originated in Hawaii centuries ago. Today, the cry “surf up!” can be heard along coastlines everywhere.
Europeans were the first Westerners to observe the sport. In 1779, Captain Cook, a British explorer, and his crew sailed around the Sandwich Islands ( Now Hawaii ). Near the rocky coast of the Big Island, they witnessed a man riding a wave while standing on a board.
Cook was stricken by what he saw. Hawaiians would pray for good waves and hold ceremonies when building surfboards. Their boards were built according to rank: Chiefs used long boards (16 to 18 feet long ), while commoners used shorter ones (6 to 8 feet long ).
After the arrival of Europeans, Hawaiian surf culture declined. Many Hawaiians died of European-borne diseases. Also, Christian missionaries (传教士) spread the belief that surfing was “ignorant (愚昧的)fun”.
These conditions changed after Hawaii became a United States territory in 1900( It became a state in 1959.) Travelers to the islands brought back stories of wave riding. Tales of the thrilling sport spread across the U.S., then to the rest of the world.
Today, surfing is the king of board sports. According to wannasurf.com, the world has nearly 8,000 “surf spots” in 136 countries on 6 continents. The Association of Surfing professionals (ASP) holds an annual world tour in which top riders compete for millions of fans on the waves.
top-5 countries with surf spots
country NO. of Sports
United States 1375
Australia 1160
South Africa 575
France 352
New Zealand 338
60. According to the passage , surfing originated in________.
A. Britain B. Europe C. America D. France
61. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Captain Cook was interested in surfing.
B. There are no surf spots in Asia.
C. In Hawaii, everyone was equal in sports.
D. Surfing is the third theme of geography.
62. The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means________.
A. excited Europeans B. gradually lost its strength
C. died out D. became more and more popular
63 What would be the best title for the text?
A. The spread of surf culture. B. The history of surf culture.
C. The rebirth of surf culture. D. The advantages of surf culture.
Contrary to many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily certain to achieve academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people.
One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can encourage a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades, whe
n the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. If the academic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the e
ncouragement they need, further depressing their desire to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems.
IQ is just one element among many in the recipe for success—Children develop well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends.
Because highly gifted children solve the most varied thought problems faster and more thoroughly than those with more average talents do, they need additional intellectual stimulation while they wait for the rest of the kids to learn the basics. Two central approaches are used to satisfy the educational needs of such children: acceleration and enrichment. Acceleration means studying material that is part of the standard subjects for older students. Enrichment involves learning information that falls outside the usual subjects.
A child might skip one or more grades as a way of accelerating in school. But being with older children for the entire school day—and perhaps for grade-based extracurricular activities such as sports—can make a child feel inferior in every filed outside of academics. One very bright fourth-grader who had skipped two grades remained far ahead of his classmates i
ntellectually, but as his classmates reached adolescence, his social and other shortcomings became painfully apparent. While acceleration is not an option, or not a good one, enrichment can be. After all, school is not a race but an adventure in learning. As such, the goal is not finishing first but absorbing as much knowledge as possible in the time assigned. Thus, providing opportunities for a child to study topics outside the regular subjects can be at least as valuable as pushing him or her through the required material faster.What is the basic reason for the low academic achievement of highly intelligent children?
| A．Teachers’ failure to recognize their potential. |
| B．Too much emphasis on being intelligent. |
| C．Studying topics outside the regular subjects. |
| D．Lack of encouragement from teachers. |
According to the passage, which of the following belongs to enrichment activities for talented children?
| A．Skipping one of more grades and studying together with older children. |
| B．Learning the same material in the standard subjects for older students. |
C．Learning information that is not included in the regula r subjects. |
| D．Learning how to read with fluency even in their pre-school days. |
Which of the following statements do you think is true about the writer?
| A．He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration. |
| B．He is in favor of acceleration rather than enrichment. |
C．He speaks highly of both enrichment and  acceleration. |
| D．He thinks neither enrichment nor acceleration is a good choice. |
In this article, the writer wants to ______.
| A．point out the weaknesses of acceleration for gifted children |
| B．compare acceleration with enrichment for gifted children |
| C．stress the importance of enrichment for gifted children |
| D．discuss how to bring out gifted children’s potential |
Each participating team will receive ______.
| A．1 T-shirt and 1 souvenir | B．4 T-shirts and 1 souvenir |
| C．1 T-shirt and 4 souvenirs | D．4 T-shirts and 4 souvenirs |
A family team which does not complete any task at the activity stations but has completed the hunt at 11.30 a.m. will ______.
| A．not be entitled to any prize | B．be awarded a mystery gift |
| C．be awarded the consolation prize | D．not receive the T -shirts |
The main purpose of the hunt is to ______.
| A．get people to spend time with family | B．attract people to win cash and prizes |
| C．encourage people to appreciate nature | D．promote Wiedken & Kennedy Advertising |
The wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 has focused the world’s camera lenses（镜头）on the UK.
In Britain, there is a constant debate about the relevance of the royal family to modern British society. However, Windsor (the family name of the British Royal Family) and Middleton have been seen to represent a more modern, forward-looking nation.
Nigel Baker, the British ambassador to Bolivia, believes that the royal wedding is “about modern Britain”. “The estimated 2 billion spectators across the world will see that Britain is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 different languages, founded on tolerance and respect for difference,” wrote Baker on his blog.
According to Baker, the wedding could help viewers to see “why Britain is one of t
he most dynamic and creative countries in the world”: The television on which most people watched the event was invented by John Logie Baird, a Briton, and the World Wide Web that broadcast the event to millions more was invented by another Briton, Tim Berners-Lee.
The guests who attended the wedding ceremony gave more than a few clues as to the nature of modern Britain. David and Victoria Beckham represent Britain’s obsession（着迷）with football and celebrity.
Leaders from different religious backgrounds supported Baker’s comments on the multicultural nature of modern British society.
Before the wedding, David Elliott, arts director of the British Council China, agreed that the wedding would be a showcase for modern Britain: “I think, and hope, that it (modern British influence) wou
ld be values like openness, multiculturalism, creativity, sense of humor and the traditional British sense of fair pl
ay,” he said.
Furthermore, events such as the Olympics in London in 2012 may also increase people’s sense of Britishness.
According to a poll published in Daily Telegraph, more than a third of people in the UK admitted they felt “very British” when watching the Olympics. What is the main point of the article?
| A．To introduce Prince William’s wedding arrangements in detail. |
| B．To comment on the significance of the royal wedding. |
| C．To question the relevance of the royal family in modern British society. |
| D．To explain why the royal wedding is linked with the 2012 Olympics. |
What can be concluded from the article?
| A．Some say that the royal wedding is a reflection on modern Britain. |
| B．Some think the royal wedding only shows Britain’s multiculturalism and sense of fair play. |
| C．About 2 billion people across the world will see the wedding ceremony online. |
| D．Britons are obsessed with football due to the influence of David Beckham. |
Why is the inventor of the World Wide Web mentioned?
A．To inform readers a bout some well-known British inventors. |
| B．To point to the importance of the World Wide Web for the wedding. |
| C．In support of the idea that Britain is a nation of creative and original people. |
| D．To encourage people to watch the wedding on the Internet. |
According to the article, both the 2012 Olympics and the royal wedding .
| A．have increased the British sense of national identity |
| B．have promoted traditional British values |
| C．represent a more modern Britain |
| D．have encouraged the interest of Britons in Football |
Gaudi Nanda sees a wearable computer as a handbag --- one that's built out of four-inch squares and triangles of fiber, with tiny computer chips embedded (嵌于) in it. It looks, feels and weighs like your typical leather purse.
That's where the similarities end: this bag can wirelessly keep track of your belongings and remind you, just as you're about to leave the house, to take your wallet. It can review the weather report and suggest that you take an umbrella. This purse can even upload your favorite songs onto your scarf.
Surely, a computing purse and scarf set may seem like the stuff of science fiction. But these devices, part of next generation of wearable computers, could become commonplace within a few years. Dupont created new super strong fibers that can conduct electricity and can be woven into ordinary-looking clothes. And the chipmaker developed chip packaging allowing wearable computers to be washed, even in the heavy-duty (耐磨损的) cycle.
As a result, these new wearable devices are different from the heavy and downright silly versions of the recent past, which often required users to be wrapped in wires and type on their stomachs. Unlike their predecessors, these new wearable computers also make economic sense. When her bag becomes commercially available in two to three years, Nanda expects it will cost around $ 150, which is the price of an average leather purse.
Here's how the bag works: You place a special radio-signal-transmitting chip onto your wallet. A similar radio in your purse picks up the signal and notifies you that you've forgotten to take your wallet. In turn, sensors on your purse's handles will notify the computer that you've picked up the purse and are ready to go.
Already, these new kinds of wearable devices are being adopted for use in markets like auto repair, emergency services, medical monitoring - and even, increasingly, for consumers at large. Indeed, more people will want to cross that bridge in the coming years - making for a booming market for wearable computers that don't look like something out of science fiction. According to the passage, the new wearable computers _______.
| A．require users to operate on the stomach |
| B．pick up the signals through wires and chips |
| C．are being applied in some different areas now |
| D．are smarter but more expensive than the old ones |
What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
| A．The new wearable computers have become fashionable. |
| B．People would like to learn more about the new computers. |
| C．New wearable computers promise to sell well in the future. |
| D．The idea of the purse-like computers comes from science fiction. |
The purpose of the passage is to ________
| A．introduce a new kind of computer |
| B．explain the functions of computers |
| C．compare different types of computers |
| D．show how high technology affects our life |
Today, almost everyone has heard of Harry Potter. The books detailing his experiences at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have aroused passion, creativity, and interest in readingthroughout theworld.
But have you ever considered why you are a fan of theHarry Potterseries?
JK Rowling has created a list of characters and an environment for them to inhabit that appeals to both adults and children.
The fantasy aspect of the wizarding world expands the imagination, and takes the mind to new and exciting places. Anything could happen there. Her stories contain parts of the believable and unbelievable, changing the predictability that readers commonly come across and bear in fiction.
The main theme of the series, including good versus evil, prejudice, love, death, sacrifice, friendship and loyalty, in actuality contributes to the ever-lasting nature of the stories.At the same time, these themes remind us of classic literature, offering mature readers tales that wear like a comfortable pair of shoes, while introducing younger readers to concepts they will meet throughout their lives.
Much of the appeal also comes from the characters. In each book, JK Rowling introduces and describes the characters in such a way that we wonder not only about their futures, but also about their pasts.Even supporting characters are suddenly more than just extras in the background. And what of Harry Potter himself? We care about Harry, because we watch him grow from an innocent boy to a powerful wizard. We see him as both Hero and Victim. He experiences endless love and extreme pain, and as readers, we experience them with him.
This perfect combination of emotion, suspense and fantasy, together with the fact that JK Rowling is a superb storyteller is the reason why we are Harry potter fans. People are fond of Harry Potter series. With books like these, it’s hard not to be.Harry Potter series become popular partly because ____________.
| A．they remind us of the childhood and environment we had in the past |
| B．they take us to a world beyond our imagination and expectation |
| C．they offer us ever-lasting nature of the stories |
| D．they set an example of hero for us to follow |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 mean?
| A．The supporting characters are not necessary in the story. |
| B．Readers care only about Harry but not those supporting characters. |
| C．Even the supporting characters are attractive in the story. |
| D．Those supporting characters only appear all of a sudden. |
The themes of the Harry Potter series do not contain ____________.
| A．prejudice and love | B．good and evil |
| C．death and sacrifice | D．safety and peace |
People care for Harry Potter because ____________.
| A．they think of classic literature when reading the story |
| B．they find different experiences from theirs on Harry |
| C．they share the experiences with Harry |
| D．they like JK Rowling’s description very much |