Parking has long been a major headache for drivers in Shanghai. The Transportation Department is mapping out a new plan for the city’s parking system. There are one million cars on the road in Shanghai but only enough public parking space to provide room for 15percent of them. It is no wonder that local drivers get so worried trying to find a place to park.
The city is seeing a rise in private car owners. In March, the city sent out 2,000 private car licenses, the highest number of licenses ever sent out in a month. And prices rose to 14,600 yuan, 500 more than in February. Industry experts say this suggests that local people have a strong, active interest in buying cars.
By the year 2020, the number of automobiles in Shanghai will probably reach two million. If one parking lot is for each car, then a lot of parking space should be built for these vehicles.
Downtown Shanghai is most short of parking space. However, experts point out that simply building more parking lots in downtown areas is not practical and doesn’t provide an ideal solution. The idea of “ Park & Ride” system has been suggested. This means that drivers can leave their vehicles in car par nearby subway or bus stations and ride public transport to go downtown. Based on this idea, the city will limit the number of parking lots in downtown areas and demand higher parking fees but build more parking areas near main subway and bus stops.
1.The underlined phrase “ mapping out ” in the first paragraph means __________.
A. making B. arguing C. controlling D. inspiring
2. About __________ drivers can find places to park their cars in Shanghai now.
A. 850,000 B. 1,000,000 C. 150,000 D. 2,000,000
3. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us ?
A. The city sent out more private licenses in February.
B. Less and less people bought cars in March.
C. The city sent out less private licenses in March.
D. More and more people are going to buy cars.
4. According to the idea of a “ Park & Ride ” system, the city will __________.
A. send out more private car licenses
B. build more parking lots near bus stops
C. encourage people to buy more cars
D. build more parking areas in downtown
Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique(古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception(接待). I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth — so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds.” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you 20 pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that, it’s nothing.”
Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said ‘Would you mend this chair for me?’” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs. Not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused(感到有趣)by the whole thing.We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer _______.
| A．was rather impolite |
| B．was warmly received |
| C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair |
| D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair |
The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper _______.
| A．changed his mind | B．accepted the offer |
| C．saw the writer’s purpose | D．decided to help the write |
How much did the writer pay?
| A．＄5 | B．＄7 | C．＄20 | D．＄27 |
From the text, we can learn that the writer was _______.
| A．honest | B．careful |
| C．smart | D．Funny |
If you are living in the city, have you ever thought of going to live in the country for a change?
Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think life in the city is more exciting and better than that in rural (农村的) areas, especially young people who like new and modern things.
Often people feel that they can find the latest styles only in the city. Other people are interested in technological (科技的) things and high-tech jobs and think they can find them only in a big city. If they want to find a job, especially a good position in a company, they feel they have to live in a city. To get these jobs, they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages (不利因素) of city life such as heavy traffic and pollution.
However, it is now possible to enjoy a higher quality of life in the countryside and still enjoy some of the advantages (好处) of living in the city.
Nowadays, travel is fast and information is available (可获得的) on the Internet, so many people are able to do their work in home offices.
Because they have e-mail and personal computers, they don't have to be in big cities to do their business. It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with technology. Now they can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and successful careers.The underlined phrase “put up with” (in Para. 3) probably means “_____”.
| A．change | B．stand |
| C．be angry with | D．be pleased with |
Now people can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and successful careers _____.
| A．because of the Internet and fast travel |
| B．because of e-mail and personal computers |
| C．because travel is fast |
| D．because the rural areas are developing faster than cities |
What is the author's opinion?
| A．She / he prefers to live in the countryside rather than live in the city. |
| B．She / he prefers to live in the city rather than live in the countryside. |
| C．She / he likes both city life and countryside life. |
| D．It is not clear which life she / he prefers. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Life in the city | B．Life in the country |
| C．Go and live in the city | D．Go and live in the country |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal（信号）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize（强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job．In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand．I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled．After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _______.
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life. |
| B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognizing different values. |
| D．By speaking each other' s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment. |
| B．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
| C．How to Understand Each Other. |
| D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |
A good first impression is important. So, how do you, when you’re meeting someone for the first time, make certain he or she doesn’t get the wrong image of you?
A study concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. Another study conducted by UCLA found that “people evaluate one another by using the three V’s: visual (appearance), vocal (voice) and verbal (what you say).”
Before you head out on your next date to meet someone new, let’s concentrate on these areas:
●How others will see you. (Visual) Are you dressed well? Do you look like this date is important to you? Did you take some time with your appearance? Watch your manners: people don’t like bad manners.
●How others will hear you. (Vocal) Is your voice too soft? You might come across as insecure. If you speak softly, make an effort to speak clearly — don’t make your date have to work to hear you.
●What others will hear you say. (Verbal) People have a natural desire to connect — let them know you’re interested in what they have to say by repeating it back to them. Don’t say the same thing everyone else is saying.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to make friends with others |
| B．How to enjoy yourself in your life |
| C．The importance of a good first impression |
| D．Good measures to communicate with others |
According to the text, when you want to make friends with someone, ______.
| A．you should talk as much as possible |
| B．there is no need for you to treat it seriously |
| C．you should try to master（掌握） the first few seconds（秒） |
| D．you should wear strange clothes to give him or her a deep impression |
Which of the following belongs to the description of “Vocal”?
| A．Dress yourself very well. |
| B．Speak carefully and clearly. |
| C．Repeat the same thing several times. |
| D．Spend some time on your appearance. |
Mobile phone（手机）has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned（禁止）students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone used among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phone as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction（分心的事）to student during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones___.
| A．because they are students |
| B．when they are free |
| C．when they are at school（在上学） |
| D．because they are children |
What does the underlined word “cheat” mean in the passage?
| A．聊天 | B．核对 |
| C．查询 | D．作弊 |
Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t _________ during school hours.
| A．use their mobile phones |
| B．leave their mobile phones at school office |
| C．help the teachers with their work |
| D．get in touch with （和……取得联系）their children |
The passage tells us that _________.
| A．students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons |
| B．it is impossible to ban students from using mobile phone at school |
| C．some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at school |
| D．parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours |