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.
Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank (打屁股) the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts (法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a
child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach (方法) can help as well.According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.
| A．strike them on the bottom | B．try to help them do the right thing |
| C．teach them what to do | D．take them to court |
Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?
| A．It teaches the child to hit others when they offend（使人不快） him or her. |
| B．The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard. |
| C．Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything. |
| D．It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right. |
Which of
the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?
| A．favorable | B．indiffe rent |
C．interested | D．unfavorable |
From this passage, we can conclude that ________.
| A．Good children always do the right thing. |
| B．Parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children. |
| C．Parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong. |
| D．Children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked. |
Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? M
any students say that a lack of concentration (注意力) is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability to study, so do their test results.
If so, use these tips to help you.
Study Techniques
lYou should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in
a box beside it.
lYour eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book 
at an angle of 30 degrees.
lBe realistic and don’t try to complete too much in on
e study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but 
try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
lAll your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty of
rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts for a few months.
lExercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also
improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
lWhen you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and
deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored. |
| B．Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time. |
| C．Check the time during the exam at a certain time. |
| D．Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method. |
What does the underlined word “it”（paragraph 2）refer to?
| A．Your study desk or table. | B．Your textbook. |
| C．Your dictionary. | D．The equipment you need. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test. |
| B．You will have enough energy to deal with your study and exams by eating healthy diet. |
| C．You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you. |
| D．If you feel tired during study, you can walk around for a few minutes. |
Birds don’t need lessons in building nests. Fish don’t need coaching to learn how to swim. All animals have instincts. They’re born with natural abilities to do certain things. Wild animals also learn by copying their parents and practicing. And pets learn through training.
But instincts and training aren’t the only keys to animals’ behavior. Scientists say animals’ thoughts and feelings also influence their actions. Animals often make choices, plans, and sensible changes. They can help others and solve problems. Some even make and use tools!
If animals could talk, what would they say about their thoughts and feelings? A gorilla (大猩猩) born in captivity (关在笼子里) has helped answer that question. Koko, a gorilla, was taught to use sign language . She has learned hundreds of words!
Koko once had a pet cat she named All Ball. “Koko love Ball,” she signed. “Soft good cat.” One time, she blamed the cat for biting her by signing “You bad dirty toilet!” When her pet died, Koko cried. “Sad for sleeping cat,” she signed.
Koko calls herself“fine animal gorilla”. She uses sign language to argue, joke
, and ask and answer questions.
“Most animals can’t use words to tell us their thoughts,” says Dr. Jonathan Balcombe. “But Koko shows us that animals have their own ideas and feelings.” Dr. Balcombe is a scientist at the Humane Society of the United States. He says there’s even more to discover about animals through field studies. In field studies, people watch animals in their natural environment.
“Scientists who study animals’ natural behaviors learn how animals live and think,” Balcombe says. “That knowledge can help others respect every animal who shares the planet with us.”The underlined word “instincts” in the first paragraph probably refers to the ability that _____.
| A．animals copy their parents | B．animals learn by practicing |
| C．animals are born with | D．animals learn throu gh training |
Space travel is definitely bad for astronauts’ bones, reducing their bone density(密度) after only a month of weightlessness, according to French research published on Friday.
Laurence Vico and his fellow workers at St Etienne University called for more research into the effects of microgravity, afte
r their study of 15 astronauts from the Russian MIR station showed bone loss continued throughout space flights.
“Bone loss was especially striking in four astronauts, ”
the scientists reported in the Lancet Medical Journal.
They measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of bones in the forearm(前臂) and lower leg of the astronauts who had spent one to six months in space.
The BMD loss was significant in the tibia(胫骨) of the lower leg, a weight-bearing bone, but barely changed in the radius(桡骨) of the forearm. “Our results indicate the need to investigate not only different bones, but also different areas of the same bone since not all sites of the skeleton (骨架) are similarly affected by space conditions, ” they added.
Without gravity the body isn’t bearing any weight so there is no need for calcium (钙)
which makes bones strong, and it becomes empty into the bloodstream.
The research team suggested in future scientists should try to determine if the loss of bone density was only on weight-bearing bones on longer flights, also the possible recovery after returning to Earth.French scientists
did their research on Russian astronauts, because _______.
| A．they only cared for the Russian astronauts |
| B．they were not interested in their own astronauts |
| C．the Russian government invited them to do their research |
| D．the Russian astronauts worked in space for a long time |
Scientists have found that _______.
| A．the BMD loss may cause serious illness to astronauts |
| B．the BMD loss may cause some change in astronauts’ bodies |
| C．astronauts shouldn’t care about the BMD loss |
| D．astronauts should take some calcium before space travel |
What cause the BMD loss to astronauts, according to this passa
ge?
| A．The food they eat in space. | B．The drinks they take in space. |
| C．The temperature in space. | D．The gravity in space. |
In the third paragraph, the word “striking” means ______.
| A．unusual | B．simple | C．weak | D．slow |
If you see someone drowning, speed is very important. Once you get him out of the water, if he isn't breathing, you have four minutes before his brain is completely destroyed. Support his neck, move his head back and press his chin upwards. This stops the tongue blocking the airway in the throat and is sometimes enough to get him breathing again. If that doesn't work, start mouth-to-mouth breathing. Press his nostrils (the two holes at the end of your nose, through which you breathe and smell things) together with your fingers. Open your mouth and take a deep breath. Blow into his lungs until his chest rises, then remove your mouth and watch his chest fall. Repeat twelve times a minute. Keep doing until professional help arrives.
To bring a child back to life, keep your lips around his mouth and gently blow into his mouth. Give the first four breaths as quickly as possible to fill the blood with oxygen. If, in spite of your efforts, he starts turning a blue-grey colour, and you can feel no pulse, then pressing is the last chance of saving his life.
With arms straight, rock forwards, pressing down on the lower half of the breastbone. Don't be too hard or you may break a rib. Check how effective you are by seeing if his colour improves or his pulse becomes independent to your chest pressing. If this happens, stop the pressing. Otherwise continue until rescue arrives.If you want to save someone drowning, you __________.
| A．have to pull off his clothes first . | B．should try to get him out of water as quickly as possible. |
| C．should first make out who he is. | D．ought to throw a life coat to him first . |
Once a person stops breathing, it means ___________.
| A．you have no more than 4 minutes to bring him to life again . |
| B．his brain is completely damaged . |
| C．he has passed away . |
| D．there is no way to save his life . |
To press his chin upwards is a way to _____________.
| A．keep the tongue from blocking the airway in the throat. |
| B．prevent the tongue from stopping the airway in the throat. |
| C．wipe the tongue out of the throat . |
| D．see if he can possibly be saved . |
If the drowning boy has no pulse,_____________.
| A．press his chin upwards is enough to get him breathing . |
| B．blow air into his mouth is sure to save his life . |
| C．press his nostrils together with your fingers can work . |
| D．press is the last chance of saving his life . |
Which of the following statement is true?
| A．Don’t stop pressing his chest, if the drowning man starts breathing again. |
| B．If you see someone drowning, you must give him mouth-to-mouth breathing. |
C．If a man does not breathe  for four minutes, his brain will be completely destroyed. |
| D．When pressing, you can do it as hard as you can. |