China has become an increasingly appealing market for Hollywood films, so it was inevitable that Academy Award-winning director James Cameron would touch down in Beijing Wednesday to promote his latest big-budget movie, Avatar.
During his 20-hour stay in the city, he shared with local media and some lucky fans details of his new film and shared his insights on China's growing film industry.
Having toured numerous countries for the promotion of Avatar since the film globally premiered on December 10, Cameron said he anticipated the visit to China for some time and apologized for his hoarse and tired voice.
"It is so sad for a director not being able to shout," he joked at the beginning of the press conference Wednesday afternoon, announcing that the 3D science fiction film will open in China on January 4.
Cameron collected 360 million yuan (US$52.7 million) at the box office in China with his blockbuster Titanic in 1998, a record that held for ten years until it was broken by Transformers in 2008.
Considering that another computer-generated, live action flick, 2012, has sold more movie tickets in China than in the US, the director said he is positive about Avatar's performance in China.
"Our partner here, the China Film Group, has given us great confidence," he explained, saying that the number of 3D screens has grown from 500 to 600 in the past month, a never-seen-before growth in Chinese mainland.
China is second only to the US as the country with the most 3D screens. Cameron said the screening of Avatar in China has specific importance as a test of future 3D film development.
"I'm very interested in the 3D film market in China. I cannot predict the box office results here, but I look forward to the test results."
63. Cameron is hopeful about Avatar’s performance in China because ____.
A. Avatar is a newly-released 3D movie
B. Transformer held the record of box office in China
C. Avatar is directed by him alone
D. 2012 had a higher box office in China than in the US
64. Which of the following has the closest meaning to “anticipated” in Paragraph 3?
A. participated B. paid C. expected D. delayed
65. Why did Cameron come to China?
A. To promote his latest film Avatar.
B. To test the future development of 3D film in China.
C. To show his interest in the 3D film market in China.
D. To make a 20-hour trip in Beijing.
66. The passage is most probably taken from ____.
A. a science book B. a newspaper C. a story book D. a magazine
Today’s museums include plenty of high culture, but you can still find shrines（圣地）to the extraordinary. Here’s a look at five curious museum stops across Canada.
Vancouver Police Museum
The setting, terrible enough, is the old Coroner’s（验尸官）Court and forensics lab, including the morgue(room where dead bodies are kept). Artifacts, from the 1870s on, include badges, uniforms, police equipment, items from criminals, and even preserved organs—all in all an arresting experience.
Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station
Designed to resemble a spacecraft, the Treck Station celebrates Vulcan’s coincidental relationship to Mr. Spock’s planet, Go to a building that features an 800-piece collection of Star Trek memorabilia — including Spock’s ears and floor-to-ceiling space paintings. If you want to know more about it, click here: http//www. Vulcantourism. com
Accordion（手风琴）Museum
Through instruments, photos and recordings, the museum traces the history of the accordion and its influence on Quebec culture. They’ve even acquired Asian instruments that show the use of the free reed— call them ancient ancestors of the accordion—that date back 4000 years.
Chocolate Museum
It’s chocoholic heaven — whole museum featuring displays on how chocolate is made, hands-on exhibits, collections of historic chocolate boxes, and antique candy- making equipment and, of course, lots of chocolate treats ,located in an old candy factory building. Click below to learn all about their hours and admission rates. http:// www. Chocolate museum .ca
Potato museum
A 14--foot high potato greets you at what’s billed as the world’s largest exhibit of potato artifacts. Explore the humble potato’s role in the economy, a collection of farm tools related to growing and harvesting potatoes, Hall of Fame.If you are very interested in thrilling movies, you will probably be attracted by .
| A．potato Museum |
| B．Chocolate Museum |
| C．Vancouver Police Museum |
| D．Accordion Museum |
We can infer from the passage that the ancestors of accordion originated in .
| A．Canada | B．America |
| C．Africa | D．Asia |
People having a sweet tooth may prefer visiting .
| A．Accordion Museum |
| B．Potato Museum |
| C．Chocolate Museum |
| D．Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station |
The passage is most likely to be taken from .
| A．a magazine | B．a website |
| C．a newspaper | D．a brochure |
We have an amazing 99 friends at the age of 21--more than at any other time in our life, according to a new study. The typical 21-year-old’s social circle nearly hits 100, with 13 “best” friends, 17 “close” friends and 70 acquaintances.
The research undertaken by skin care brand Nivea found our social circle peaks at 21 as we meet people at work while keeping in touch with friends from school and university. But as our working lives take over，we lose contact with some old friends causing the number to drop to around 68 by the time we are 29 years old. Although this decline continues into old age，it slows down slightly for people in their 30s when many of them become first-time parents. It is believed that this is because people form new friendships while on the maternity ward(产科病房)，at post-natal(产后) groups and when taking their toddlers(学步时期的小孩) to nursery.
The Nivea Closeness Report found the balance between our numbers of “best friends”，“close friends” and “acquaintances”，remains fairly constant throughout our lifetime. The average Briton has 18 close friends and a friendship circle，when all Facebook and other social networking “friends” are included，of 208 people. The report found that men have more than twice the number of close friends，with around 27 compared to women who have just 12. Londoners are also the most sociable，with 39 “close friends”，while the Welsh have just 11.
The age of 21 is such a critical junction in life and that’s why we have so many friends then. As we get older we become more selective and have fewer close friends with whom we talk about the things that are really important to us. Perhaps when we are younger，instead of having one trusted confidante(知己) we share different things with a variety of different people.According to the Nivea Closeness Report，who have the largest number of close friends?
| A．Canadians. | B．The Welsh. |
| C．Londoners. | D．Americans. |
Older people have fewer friends than the 21-year-olds because .
| A．they think friends are no longer important |
| B．they are more selective and cautious |
| C．they are less interested in making friends |
| D．they have little time to make friends |
The research suggests that the number of friends in one’s late twenties reduces by or so, compared to that in one’s early twenties.
| A．70 | B．20 | C．30 | D．200 |
Why does the number of one’s friends decrease slowly when he is about 30 years old?
| A．Because they achieve success in business and get acquainted with more colleagues. |
| B．Because many parents make friends with people who have similar experiences in bringing up children . |
| C．Because they make more friends through Facebook or the Internet. |
| D．Because as they grow older, they have more confidantes instead of acquaintances. |
A
A group of 1309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace(重走) the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated first voyage on April 10, 1912. Of the 2227 passengers and crew aboard, more than1500 died. The ship, which was headed for New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants who were seeking a better life in America.
Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship were on the Balmoral. They wanted to remember the Titanic and those who died on her first and last voyage.
The Balmoral is following Titanic's original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked（进港） in the port of Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic's last port of call before sailing to New York.
The Balmoral then sailed the North Atlantic Ocean to the location where Titanic hit an iceberg . On Sunday, April 15, at 2：20 a. m. --- the time the Titanic went down---passengers and crew held a memorial service. The next two days were spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.
So far, several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future. The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there's a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.We learn from the first paragraph that .
| A．about 700 passengers of the Titanic survived. |
| B．the Titanic sank on its second voyage. |
| C．less than 2000 passengers boarded the Titanic. |
| D．all the passengers’ hopes of the Titanic lay in America. |
Which of the following shows the correct route of the Balmoral?
a. Halifax b. New York City c. Cobh d. Southampton e. Cherbourg
| A．e-d-a-b-c | B．d-e-c-a-b |
| C．e-c-a-b-d | D．d-c-e-a-b |
What might be the most important contribution of the Titanic?
| A．Its site attracts more exploring teams. |
| B．It makes the later ships more secure. |
| C．Some of its items are on public display. |
| D．More trips are planned to its wreckage. |
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a popular trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy resolution. It is now trying hard to made full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil(棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions(排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge public expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from the traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of a growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that____.
| A．it makes the world warmer |
| B．it consumes natural resources |
| C．it brings severe damage to future |
| D．it makes growth hard to continue |
What can we infer from Paragraph2?
| A．China lacks wind and solar energy. |
| B．China is the leader of the low-carbon market. |
| C．High-speed trains are a low-carbon development. |
| D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests. |
To fully develop the low-carbon markets governments can______.
| A．cut public expenses |
| B．forbid carbon emissions |
| C．develop public resources |
| D．encourage energy conservation |
We can learn from the last paragraph that businesses have many chances to _______.
| A．develop sustainable products |
| B．explore new natural resources |
| C．make full use of natural resources |
| D．deal with the major challenge |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To introduce a new business model |
| B．To compare two business models |
| C．To predict a change of the global markets |
| D．To advocate sustainable development |
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account (交易账户) where you receive a key – card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that's 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek!
It's a club with impressive features for teenagers:
●No account keeping fees!
You're no millionaire so we don't expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits (储蓄) without taking them out in a month.
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet. You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part – time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can't want to hear from you. It's the best way to choose to be a winner!The Winners Club is a bank account intended for _________.
| A．parents | B．teenagers |
| C．winners | D．adults |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents. |
| B．The bank opens only on work days. |
| C．Services are convenient for its members. |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
The Winners Club provides magazines which _________.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories. |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must _________.
| A．be an Internet user |
| B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a big sum of money |
| D．be in your twenties |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To set up a club. |
| B．To provided part – time jobs. |
| C．To organize key – cards. |
| D．To introduce a new banking service. |