Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and Last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilisations（文明）, broken up by long 'dark ages' in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2,000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred ? The next thousand? The next million? That's much more difficult.
When men and women lived by hunting 50,000 years ago, how could they even begin to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50,000 years from now, we may seem as primitive（原始的）in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters do to us. Perhaps through the spundels and ballalators, these words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can't think of .
So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future ? Here are two reasons. First unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with the whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live because. we are careless or greedy（贪婪） or quarrelsome,our grand-children will not bother to think of excuses for us.
Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future men may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future .
53．A particular mention made of Stapledon's book in the opening paragraph ____________
A．serves as a description of human history
B．serves an introduction to the discussion
C．shows a disagreement of views
D． Shows the popularity of the book
54．The text discusses men and women 50,000 years ago and 50,000 years from now in order to show that _________.
A．human history is extremely long B．life has changed a great deal
C．it is useless to plan for the next 50 years
D．it is difficult to tell what will happen in the future
55．Spundels and ballalators are used in the text to refer to _________.
A．tools used in farming B．ideas about modern life
C．unknown things in the future D．hunting skills in the Stone Age
56．According to the writer of the text, imagining the future will _________.
A．serve the interests of the present and future generations
B．enable us to better understand human history
C．help us to improve farming
D．make life worth living
In 1953, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary, then 33, joined a British Qomolangma expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans were the first team to attempt the summit (顶峰). Despite a violent storm, they reached the South Summit — at 28,700 feet (8,748 meters) — by 1 p.m. on May 26. But both men knew they would run out of oxygen if they went on. They agreed to turn back.
Two days later, Hillary and Norgay, set out from Camp IX at 25,900 feet to make the next attempt. At 27,900 feet they made a temporary camp on a six foot wide rock to spend the night. At 6:30 the next morning, cheered by clearing skies, the team moved out. Roped together, cutting steps with their ice axes, they inched up a steep, knife-edged ridge (山脊) southeast of the summit. They reached the South Summit by 9:00 a.m.
Farther up, they met a 40-foot icy rock face, which was later named the Hillary Step. “…looking up at the rock step at 29,000 feet, it really did look extremely difficult to overcome,” said Hillary. But they found a narrow crack on the surface of the rock, just large enough to move inside on hands and knees, and managed to climb it by supporting feet against one side and backs against the other. Hillary said, “That was really the first moment during the whole of the expedition that I was confident that we were going to get to the top.”
The last few yards to the summit were relatively easy. “Then I realized that the ridge, instead of rising ahead, now dropped sharply away,” Hillary said. “I looked upward to see a narrow ridge running up to a sharp point. …and we stood on the summit.” It was 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The climbing history of Qomolangma. |
| B．The life and achievements of Edmund Hillary. |
| C．How Hillary and Norgay conquered Qomolangma. |
| D．How the Hillary Step got its name. |
At what height did Hillary and Norgay set out on May 29?
| A．25,900 feet. | B．27,900 feet. |
| C．28,700 feet. | D．29,000 feet. |
According to Paragraph 2, one of the main advantages to Hillary and Norgay was .
| A．fine weather conditions | B．good rest the night before |
| C．enough food supplies | D．good climbing skills |
When looking back, Hillary described the Hillary Step as .
| A．much easier to climb than she expected |
| B．impossible for her to overcome again |
| C．easy to climb up but hard to climb down |
| D．one of the biggest barriers before the summit |
Laws to stop tigers, camels, zebras and snakes being used as performing animals in circuses have been announced by the government.
The environment minister, Jim Paice, hoped the laws would be brought in before the end of the parliament in 2015, which is the main law-making institution of the UK. At present between 35 and 50 wild animals are thought to be used by circuses in England and Defra offered to help find new homes for the retired performers.
The announcement follows a campaign by animal charity organization for the ban (禁令), which became worse when a video appeared last year of a circus elephant being beaten by a worker. Campaigners were angry when Paice previously announced tougher licensing instead.
Circus Mondao, whose website shows zebra and camels, said it would probably challenge the suggested ban. The circus is a member of the European Circus Association, which previously challenged Austria's ban, saying there was no scientific evidence (证据) that the animals were harmed by the travelling or conditions. On its website, Mondao says that when it travels animals are the last to be loaded and the first to be unloaded; they are moved to tents within an hour of arriving, and are usually moved 20-50 miles.
Animal charities welcomed the move, but called for ministers to speed up the laws. Asked why circuses would be banned from keeping wild animals but not domestic animals such as horses, a Defra spokesman said a key difference was that domesticated animals were more used to conditions such as travelling. "Wild animals aren't domesticated: we feel it's not right ethically (伦理上) for wild animals to perform," he said.What is the proper order of the following events ?
a. Tougher licensing was announced by the environment minister.
b. A campaign for a ban was launched by an animal charity.
c. Laws were announced by the government.
d. The suggested ban was challenged by Circus Mondao.
| A．b, d, c, a | B．c, b, a, d | C．b, a, c, d | D．c, a, d, b |
According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Retired performers are taken good care of in their new homes. |
| B．The environment minister expected to introduce the law during the present parliament. |
| C．Austria’s ban has been seriously challenged by all the European circuses. |
| D．Animal charities were not satisfied with the suggested laws at all. |
“Domestic animals ” are probably.
| A．animals that provide meat for people |
| B．animals that are introduced from other countries |
| C．animals that are well trained by a circus |
| D．animals that live on farm or in people’s home |
Driving home from work one evening in the heavy rain, I found a very wet, injured cat on the side of the road. He looked up at me, meowing pitifully. A car must have hit it so it wasn’t able to move. I stopped my car and carried the cat in and went on driving.
At the nearest vet clinic, the vet gently examined it. "He's about eight months old and has two broken legs, but I would need X-rays to know how serious the damage is," he told me. "As he's not your cat, I don't know if you want to go ahead with this. It could be rather expensive."
I knew it would cost me hundreds of dollars, but I agreed with his advice. The following morning the vet rang to say the X-rays confirmed two bad breaks in his legs. "I'll operate on his legs and put metal pins in them to keep them fixed." he told me.
That afternoon I went to pick up my little friend. There I could hardly recognize him. His previously dirty fur was now a beautiful silver grey. His front legs were in two casts and he lay there looking at me, purring(发咕噜声) happily.
I thanked the doctor and went out to pay the bill. "I think you've given me the wrong account," I said to the clerk. "This is only $85. He's had X-rays and an operation on his legs." "No, that's right," she replied. "The vet has only charged you for the medication. There's a message on the bottom."
Written under the total were the words "SPECIAL RATE FOR ADOPTIONS." I was speechless at his kind and generous gesture. I paid the account and under his message I wrote "WITH GRATEFUL THANKS, CAT AND MUM."Why didn’t the vet give the cat X-rays immediately?
| A．The damage was not serious at all. |
| B．The cat was too young to be X-rayed. |
| C．The doctor wasn’t sure whether the author would like to cover the expenses. |
| D．The examination was too expensive for the author to afford. |
What do we know about the author?
| A．The author was a caring and generous lady. |
| B．The author often adopted animals. |
| C．The author’s workplace was far from home. |
| D．The author only worked at night. |
Which of the following is true of the cat?
| A．He was deserted by his owner and nearly starved to death. |
| B．He was saved on a dark and stormy night. |
| C．He was a lively creature with beautiful brown fur. |
| D．His back legs were broken and had to have an operation. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．The adventure of a cat |
| B．An impressive vet |
| C．An unforgettable night |
| D．Love in relays |
| Voluntary work Are you 16 or over? Do you like meeting people? Do you like making a difference? Have you got 3 – 4 hours a week to spare? Then why not volunteer to help elderly people by doing their shopping, decorating, gardening, dog walking. This is very rewarding work that meets an important social need. For more details see Mrs. Capstick, Eagle House. |
| Senior choir Do you like singing with other people? Are you aged between 14-18? Want to take it to a higher level? We need your vocal cords! Lots of fun, friendly people and the chance to perform in public! Come to a meeting with Mr. Davies this Thursday at 3:30 pm in the Music Annexe. |
| Want a kitten？ My cat, Comfrey, has had kittens. Lovely cute fluffy bundles, black, black & white or tortoiseshell. No charge, but they must go to good, caring homes where they will be well-looked after!!! See Jan Swirsky in 4E. Only 3 left! |
| Creative Writing Competition Stationers & booksheller W.H. Smiths are sponsoring a creative writing competition open to secondary school students 12-18 throughout the UK. The theme of the competition is: Breaking down barriers. Entries, which can be in prose or poetry, must be no longer than 2000 words, and they mustn’t have been published before. Send your entry to: breaking Down Barriers, PO Box 23 Great Boolean, WV1 4RY. |
| Calling for future Beckhams and Owens! The Kings Park Junior 11 needs new talent. If you fancy your form, are free on Saturday Mornings and Tuesday evenings 6:30-8:30 for soccer training, ring Barry Mole on 367060. |
You have to contact someone by phone to enter for .
| A．Voluntary work |
| B．Senior choir |
| C．Creative writing competition |
| D．Kings Part Junior Tryout |
Which of the following activities has no age limit?
| A．Voluntary work. | B．Senior choir. |
| C．Kitten adoption. | D．Writing competition. |
Which of the following is true about Creative Writing Competition?
| A．It is funded by companies. |
| B．There are topics to choose from. |
| C．Poetry is not accepted. |
| D．Entries will be put in print. |
Where are you most likely to find the information above?
| A．In a newspaper entertainment section. |
| B．On a school notice board. |
| C．In a handbook for students. |
| D．In a monthly student magazine. |
Money Matters
Parents should help their children understand money. So you may start talking about money when your child shows an interest in buying things, candy or toys, for example.
1.The basic function of money
Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing how people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have. If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员). When your child grows a bit older and understands the basic function of money, you can start explaining more complex ways of using money.
2. Money lessons
Approach money lessons with openness and honesty. If you must say no to a child’s request to spend money, explain, “You have enough toy trucks for now.” Or, if the request is for many different things, say, “You have to make a choice between this toy and that toy.”
3.
Begin at the grocery store. Pick out two similar brands of a product—a name-brand butter and a generic(无商标产品),for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money. If he chooses the cheaper brand, allow him to make another purchase with the money saved. Later, you may explain how the more expensive choice leaves less money for other purchases.
| A. Wise decisions. B. The value of money. C. Permit the child to choose between them. D. Tell your child why he can—or cannot—have certain things. E. Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you. F. Talk about how the money bought the thing after you leave the toy store. G. The best time to teach a child anything about money is when he shows an interest. |