A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans
and their neighbors．
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机)as a waste oi energy and a
major polluter of the environment．As a result，they are turning to clotheslines as part of the
“what—l—can—do environmentalism(环境保护主义)．”On the Other side a．re people who
are against drying clothes outside，arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant tn look at。They
have Dersuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U．S．to ban outdoor
clotheslines，because clothesline drying also tends 10 lower home value in the neighborhood．
This has led to a’Right—to--Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect
people’s right tO use clotheslines．So far，only three states have laws to protect clotheslines．
Right—Lo—Dry supporters argue that there should be more．
Matt Reck，37，is the kind of eco—conscious(有生态意识的)person who feeds his trees
with halhwal er and reuses water drops from his air conditloners to water plants．His family
also uses a clothesline．But on July 9，2007，the itOA in Wake Forest，Norlh Ca rolina．told
him that a dissatisfied neighbour had telephoned them about hi
s clothesline．The Recks paid
no attention tO the warning and still dri'ed their clothes on a
line in the yard．“Many people
say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands。”says
Reck．The local HoA has decided not tO take any action，unless more neighbors co~le 10
them．
North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to
do．But HO
As and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people o
f poor
neighborhoods．They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford
dryers，housing prices will fall．
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary，and in view of global warming，
that idea needs to change．As they say，“The clothesline is beautiful”．Hanging clothes
outside should be encouraged．We a11 have to do at least something to slow down the process
of glohal warming．
60．One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying
iSthat
A．clothes dryers are more efficient
B．clothesline drying reduces home value
C．clothes dryers are energy--saving
D．clothesline drying is not allowed in nlost U．S．slates
61．Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?
A．He is a kind～hearted man． B．He is an impolite man．
C．He is an experienced gardener． D．He is a man of social responsibility
62．Who are in favor of clothesline drying?
A．Housing busmesses． B．Environmentalists．
C．Homeowners Associations． D．Reck’8 dissatisfied neighbors．
63．What is mainly discussed in the text?
A．Clothesline drying：a way to save energy and fnnRey
B．Clot hesline drying：a lost art rediscovered．
C．Opposite opinions on clothesline drying．
D．Different varieties of clotheslines．
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.
| A．notice small changes |
| B．expect small changes |
| C．welcome small changes |
| D．exaggerate small changes |
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
| A．Cautiously. |
| B．Positively. |
| C．Sceptically. |
| D．Critically. |
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.
| A．the relaxed policemen |
| B．the messy arrivals hall |
| C．the tight security |
| D．the bank robbers |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life in Britain. |
| B．Back in Britain. |
| C．Britain in Future. |
| D．Britain in Memory. |
D
Thousands of people began pouring into Pennsylvania from other states.
They wanted to buy lottery tickets (彩票). The tickets cost only $ 0.9
each. But that small spending could bring them a reward of $ 90 million
.That was the second largest lottery jackpot (积累奖金) in history .
More than 87 million tickets were bought for the Pennsylvania lottery
drawing. Those who bought tickets had to choose seven numbers from 1 to
80．The chance of winning was one in 9.6 million, but that little
chance certainly didn’t affect ticket sales. In the last few days
before the drawing , tickets were selling at the unbelievable rate of
500 per second .
Experts say many people buy lottery tickets because they just want to
have a piece of the action . Others say the lottery is a stock market
for poor people. It allows them to dream about wealth they’ll probably
never have.
But many people believe lotteries are no better than legalized (合法化
的) gambling . Some critics note that most people who play are poor and
may not be able to afford the tickets. There are also many addicts who
take the game seriously. They may pour their life savings into lottery
tickets. Some clubs have been formed to help them kick the habit.
Politicians like lotteries because they provide money that would
otherwise have to come from new taxes. The profits from lotteries are
usually used to pay for education or programs for senior citizens. But
critics say this arrangement just allows states to legalize vice (恶
习), under the name of social progress . No matter whether you regard
state lotteries right or not, you cannot refuse to accept their extreme
popularity with many Americans. They main idea of the passage is that __________.
| A．lotteries are of great benefit to everyone who buys them |
| B．playing a lottery is just like investing in the stock market |
| C．many people buy lottery tickets , but lotteries cause disagreement |
| D．lotteries are nothing but legalized vice |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Politicians like lotteries because they don’t have to pay extra taxes. |
| B．The popularity of lotteries in America actually is social progress. |
| C．Some critics don’t like lotteries because many poor people waste money on them. |
| D．People love the lottery because it is a stock market. |
In just one hour in the last few days, the Pennsylvania lottery
sold tickets totaling_______.
| A．$ 1.62 million |
| B．$ 1.82 million |
| C．$ 9.6 million |
| D．$ 87million |
C
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. The told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other place.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a batter future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job---eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning. From paragraph I we learn that the villagers __________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．the frogs were easy money |
| B．They needs money to buy medicine |
| C．they wanted to please the visitors |
| D．the frogs made too much noise |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．the crops didn’t do well |
| B．there were too many insects |
| C．the visits brought in diseases |
| D．the pesticides were overused |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country |
| B．Health is more important than money |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important |
| D．good old day will never be forgotten |
Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch offers a unique outdoor adventure camp for international students.
Students who come to Skinner Creek have the opportunity to learn English in an environment entirely different from a regular school setting. English classes are designed to meet the academic and spoken levels of each student. All English classes will be taught by instructors qualified in teaching English as a second language. All levels of English are available.
After class, students can enjoy many outdoor activities in a controlled and safe environment. Experienced managers and camp teachers will prepare each activity to the level appropriate for each student.
Students’ safety is a priority for the staff of Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch. Students are monitored at all times and supervisors are in the cabins with the students at night. Staff members have St. John’s First Aid and Transportation and Wilderness First Aid. An emergency clinic is nearby and accessible 24 hours.
English Classes:
Class hours are from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am—2:00 pm with a one-hour break for lunch.
Students are challenged in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary building and conversational English.
Fun After-class Activities:
Great after-class activities include: horseback riding lessons, hiking, baseball, volleyball, badminton, mountain hiking, bonfires and much more.
Time to watch videos and TV and play games.
Experience Canadian family life.
Weekends:
Special all-day and overnight weekend activities include: camping, days at the lake (fishing, swimming and boating) and more.
Travel Information:
Students will be picked up at Vancouver airport and dropped off again for their individual flights. Transportation to and from the ranch will be provided as well as overnight stays in Vancouver.
Please contact the ranch directly for prices: skinnercreek@telus. net.If you attend Skinner Creek Summer Camp, you will___.
| A．sometimes have English Classes outdoors. |
| B．learn how to deal with dangers in the wild. |
| C．enjoy different sports activities after class |
| D．experience the traditional farmer lifestyle. |
How many hours of English classes do students have every week in Skinner Creek?
| A．35 hours |
| B．28 hours |
| C．25 hours |
| D．20 hours |
Skinner Creek ESL Guest Ranch is in___.
| A．Canada |
| B．America |
| C．England |
| D．Australia |
How will most students travel to Skinner Creek if they want to attend the camp?
| A．By air |
| B．By car |
| C．By boat |
| D．By train |
The interview has been going on for about 20 minutes and everything seems to be going well. Then, suddenly, the interviewer asks an unexpected question, “Which is more important, law or love?”
Job applicants in the West increasingly find themselves asked strange questions like this. And the signs are that this is beginning to happen in China.
Employers want people who are skilled, enthusiastic and devoted. So these are the qualities that any reasonably intelligent job applicant will try to show no matter what his or her actual feelings are. In response, employers are increasingly using the questions which try and show the applicant’s true personality.
The question in the first paragraph comes from a test called the Kersey Temperament Sorter. It is an attempt to discover how people solve problems, rather than what they know. This is often called aptitude（天资）test.
According to Mark Baldwin of Alliance, many job applicants in China are finding this type of questions difficult. “When a Chinese fills out an aptitude test, he or she will think there is a right answer but they may fail because they try to guess what the examiner wants to see.”
This is sometimes called the prisoner’s dilemma. Applicants are trying to act cleverly in their own interest, but they fail because they don’t understand what the interviewer is looking for. Remember that in an aptitude test, the correct answer is the honest answer. What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To give a piece of advice for job interviewees. |
| B．To tell you how to deal with job interviews. |
| C．To advise you how to find a good job. |
| D．To describe an aptitude test. |
Now employers want to hire workers_______.
| A．who know much more than others |
| B．who will work harder than others |
| C．who are able to solve the problems |
| D．who are better educated than others |
According to the writer, in an aptitude test, Chinese
job applicants should_______.
A. not tell the truth
B. offer a complete answer
C. learn to tell what they really think
find out what the examiner wants to know From the passage we know that_______.
| A．job applicants are always asked such questions |
| B．applicants should not act as cleverly as possible |
| C．more Chinese applicants fail to find a job |
| D．aptitude test is becoming worldwide popular |