BEIJING, Nov. 30 – The Bird’s Nest may have been built for last year’s Summer Games but Beijing’s Olympic stadium will soon be aiming at fans of winter sports.
As temperatures have begun to drop in recent weeks, so too has the number of visitors to the 80,000-seater venue, which cost 3.6 billion yuan ($527 million) to build.
And, fearing another harsh (寒冷的) winter, National Stadium Co Ltd, which owns the Bird’s Nest, yesterday planed to spend 50 million yuan on a “snow festival”.
From Dec 19, visitors will be able to pay 120 yuan to enjoy skiing and snowboarding, among other things, on its newly constructed slopes.
The stadium owners expect to attract more than 20,000 visitors a day – twice as many as it currently does – during the two-month festival, which will include events for both the Western and Chinese new years.
Officials revealed it would take just 5,000 visitors a day to cover the costs of the project.
“It’s not a bad idea. You can ski on man-made snow in Dubai, so why not here?” said Heiko Grasse, a tourist from Germany, yesterday.
Famous outdoor equipment makers and local brands are in talks over sponsorship for the event, the Bird’s Nest owners said yesterday, while the capital’s television network will also provide 500 hours of coverage.
“The Bird’s Nest will not have a cold winter again,” Wu Jingjun, the new president of National Stadium Co Ltd, told China Daily yesterday. “We will create seasonal events almost every month from now on with assistance from the government and, importantly, the public.”
Yang Cheng, a newly appointed vice-president of National Stadium Co Ltd, said the snow festival would run for five consecutive winters if successful.
60. How many people visit The Bird’s Nest a day before the “snow festival”?
A. About 80,000. B. About 20,000. C. About 10,000. D. About 5,000.
61. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. The “snow festival” will attract more visitors from China than the Western countries.
B. People aren’t allowed to visit The Bird’s Nest before Dec 19.
C. The “snow festival” would run for at least five winters.
D. More than 2.4 million yuan a day is expected to be made in the “snow festival”.
62. What does Wu Jingjun mean by saying “The Bird’s Nest will not have a cold winter again”?
A. The Bird’s Nest will be kept at high temperatures in winter.
B. Winter Olympic Games will be held in The Bird’s Nest.
C. The “snow festival” will provide many events in winter.
D. The Bird’s Nest will get much more assistance from the government.
63. Which of the following may NOT be included in the “snow festival” events?
A. A football game. B. Skiing. C. Snowboarding. D. A New Year’s Party.
The Touchstone
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read little, bought it for very little money.
The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold.
The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. The days continued over a long period if time.
One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along he still threw it away.
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are cautious, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.The man bought the book because .
A.he wanted to read it | B.it was very interesting |
C.there was a secret in the book | D.he wanted to find the touchstone |
We can learn from the passage that the touchstone is .
A.pure | B.cold | C.magic | D.big |
Why did the man throw the pebbles into the sea?
A.Because he didn’t want to get the same pebbles. |
B.Because he didn’t want others to pick them up. |
C.Because he didn’t like their ordinary looks. |
D.Because he didn’t like the cold feelings. |
What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
A.We about orate opportunities in our life. |
B.We should seek for opportunities in the world. |
C.We may seize opportunities when we are watchful |
D.We may discover opportunities when forming habits. |
Eight – year – old Jesse Abrogate was playing in the sea late one evening in July 2001 when a 7 – foot bull shark attacked him and tore off his arm. Jesse’s uncle jumped into the sea and dragged the boy to shore. The boy was not breathing. His aunt gave him mouth – to – mouth resuscitation (人工呼吸) while his uncle rang the emergency services. Pretty soon, a helicopter arrived and flew the boy to hospital. It was a much quicker journey than the journey by road.
Jesse’s uncle, Vance Folsenzier, ran back into to the sea and found the shark that had attacked his nephew. He picked the shark up and threw it onto the beach. A coastguard shot the fish four times and although this did not kill it, the shark’s jaws relaxed so that they could open them, and reach down into its stomach, and pull out the boy’s arm.
At the Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Dr Ian Rogers spent eleven hours reattaching Jesse’s arm. “It was a complicated operation,” he said, “but we were lucky. If the arm hadn’t been recovered in time, we wouldn’t have been able to do the operation at all. What I mean is that if they hadn’t found the shark, well then we wouldn’t have had a chance.’
According to local park ranger Jack Tomosvic, shark attacks are not that common. “Jesse was just unlucky,” he says, “evening is the shark’s feeding time. And Jesse was in area without lifeguards. This would never have happened if he had been in area where swimming is allowed.’
When reporters asked Jesse’s uncle how he had had the courage to fight a shark, he replied, “I was mad and you do some strange things when you’re mad.”What was the boy doing when the accident happened?
A.Feeding a hungry shark. | B.Jumping into the ![]() |
C.Dragging a boy to the shore. | D.Swimming in a dangerous area. |
In which way did the boy’s uncle help with the operation?
A.By finding his lost arm. | B.By shooting the fish. |
C.By flying him to hospital. | D.By blowing into his mouth. |
How was his uncle in time of danger?
A.Careful. | B.Brave. | C.Optimistic. | D.Patient. |
"Depend on yourself" is what nature says to every man. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself.
There have been many men in history. But many of them were very poor in childhood, and no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few. They could not depend upon them for an education. They saw how it was and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way till they became well-known.
One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, "I can not make worthy men of you, but I can help make men of yourself."
Some young men don't try their best to make themselves valuable to the human beings. They can never gain achievement(成就) unless they see their weak points and change their course. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own efforts.
64. Which of the following titles fits this article best?
A. What Nature Says to Every Man. B. How to Be Famous.
C. Men Must Help Each Other. D. Depend on Yourself.
65. Many of the great men succeeded because ____________.
A. they wanted very much to become well known
B. they made great efforts to learn and work
C. they had received a good education
D. they had rich parents
66. According to the famous teacher in England, a teacher can________.
A. make his pupils rich men
B. help his pupils find a way to be famous
C. help his pupils make themselves useful men
D. make his pupils men of strength and courage
67. If young people depend on their own efforts, ______.
A. they are sure to be very famous in the world
B. they can be successful in their lives
C. they can live without their families
D. they no longer need any help
Charlie studied Chemistry in a famous college for four years. He studied hard and did well in all his subjects. He hoped to become a good teacher. This year he left the college and began to work in a middle school. He likes his students and wants them to get good marks so he does his best to make his classes lively and interesting.
One day he carefully explained a chemical reaction(反应)to the students of Grade 2 in the chemistry lab.
“Be careful. Everyone,” he said loudly. “Before I make the experiment, there’re twenty five atoms of carbon(碳原子), but after I finish it, there’re twenty four atoms of carbon left!”
He stopped to watch the classroom and hoped his students would go on explaining it. But the young men looked at each other and nobody answered him. He had to ask, “What happens? What makes the atom disappear? ”
The classroom was very quiet and none of the students looked at their teacher.
“Who can tell us where it has gone?”
Suddenly a soft voice came from the back row, “We did not see anybody leave the lab!”
60.Charlie began to work in the middle school because _______.
A. he had been in the school for four years
B. he couldn’t do anything except teaching
C. he hoped to become a good teacher
D. he did well in all his subject
61. Charlie hoped ____,so he does his best to make his classes lively and interesting.
A .all his students could understand him
B .his students wouldn’t be afraid of him
C. his students carefully watched him doing the experiment
D. his students would do well in chemistry.
62. That day Charlie wished ____.
A. his students could learn the chemical reaction
B. his students should find the atom of carbon
C. his students could count(数) the atoms of carbon
D. his students could make the experiment
63. The students couldn’t answer Charlie’s questions because ____.
A. none of them had seen the atoms
B. they were afraid of the teacher
C. the chemical reaction was too complicated
D. they all wanted to drop the subject
At first all films were in black and white, but in 1932 the first color film was made. This proved as unpopular as talking films had done in the late 1920’s. It was not until 1938 that a full-length color film was made, and the success of this film made producers everywhere change from black and white to color. This first full-length color film was translated into ten different languages and made Hollywood the main center of film industry
In the early days of the cinema, other countries also had film industries. Very good films were made in Sweden, Britain, Russia and France. However, because Hollywood had so much money to spend, it kept its position as the world’s most important film center. Film actors went to America because they knew they could get a lot of money for every film they made. In 1918 Charlie Chaplin received $5 each day.
However, life was not always easy for the film actors. Newspapermen followed them everywhere, and after Charlie Chaplin married for the fourth time he became so unpopular with the American public that he had to leave the country and live in Europe.
56. Which of the following is correct?
A. People liked color film as soon as it was made.
B. At first color films were not long.
C. Color films were at first silent.
D. Talking films were all color films.
57. The first full-length color film was made ______.
A. in Hollywood B. in Sweden C. by Charlie Chaplin D. in Britain
58. Life was sometimes difficult for film actors because_______.
A. films often cost huge amount of money to make
B. they had a long way to go before they became famous
C. sometimes films lose money
D. they could not get away from newspapermen
59. Talking films _______.
A. were not successful until the late 1920’s
B. were unpopular when first made
C. were as popular as black and white films
D. were popular but the color film was not