An 18-year-old student has won a local election to become mayor of his hometown
in the US state of Michigan. Michael Sessions won by the slenderest of margins - just two votes put him ahead of his only rival, the incumbent 51-year-old mayor. Mr. Sessions attributed his electoral success to the votes cast by his parents. He will now have to juggle schedules between attending school and fulfilling his civic duties. He will attend his school classes between 8am to 3pm and carry out his new job as the elected mayor of Hillsdale before dinner at 6pm. He aims to deliver on his campaign pledges of increasing the contingent (小分队) of full-time fire-fighters from three to four, revitalizing (使恢复元气) the local economy and enabling townsfolk to air their views and grievances on town life.
Mr. Sessions was too young to enter the election when it was first announced – he turned 18 only in September, which meant he had just four weeks of campaigning. Although he is the youngest elected official in America, he cannot celebrate his success with champagne because he would be arrested for underage drinking. He ran for office with a budget of $700, which he made from his summer job of selling toffee apples. His position is largely ceremonial and he will not get his own office. Instead, he will receive an annual stipend of $3,600 to cover basic expenses. He starts his four-year position on November 21. Mr. Sessions has become an overnight celebrity since his victory and has already done the circuit of television chat show interviews.
1. When did the election probably take place?
A. August. B. September. C. October. D. December.
2. How long will Mr. Sessions be the mayor of Michigan State?
A. One year. B. Two years. C. Four years. D. Not mentioned.
3. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Mr. Sessions won the election by two votes.
B. Mr. Sessions had many competitors during the election.
C. The new mayor will get an office after the election.
D. The new mayor doesn’t have to attend the school any more.
Some of the world's most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It's Jason Moran's job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
"Jazz seems like it's not really a part of the American appetite," Moran tells National Public Radio's reporter Neal Conan. "What I'm hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It's actually color, and it's actually digital."
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. "The music can't be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same," says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller's music for a dance party, "Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music," says Moran. "For me, it's the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context," says Moran, "so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster."
28．Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?
| A． |
To remember the birth of jazz. |
| B． |
To protect cultural diversity. |
| C． |
To encourage people to study music. |
| D． |
To recognize the value of jazz. |
29．What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 3 refer to?
| A． |
Jazz becoming more accessible. |
| B． |
The production of jazz growing faster. |
| C． |
Jazz being less popular with the young. |
| D． |
The jazz audience becoming larger. |
30．What can we infer about Moran's opinion on jazz?
| A． |
It will disappear gradually. |
| B． |
It remains black and white. |
| C． |
It should keep up with the times. |
| D． |
It changes every 50 years. |
31．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A． |
Exploring the Future of Jazz. |
| B． |
The Rise and Fall of Jazz. |
| C． |
The Story of a Jazz Musician. |
| D． |
Celebrating the Jazz Day. |
I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.
I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.
24. What is unavoidable in the author's rescue work according to paragraph 1?
| A． |
Efforts made in vain. |
| B． |
Getting injured in his work. |
| C． |
Feeling uncertain about his future. |
| D． |
Creatures forced out of their homes. |
25. Why was the author called to Muttontown?
| A． |
To rescue a woman. |
| B． |
To take care of a woman. |
| C． |
To look at a baby owl. |
| D． |
To cure a young owl. |
26. What made the chick calm down?
| A． |
A new nest. |
| B． |
Some food. |
| C． |
A recording. |
| D． |
Its parents. |
27. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?
| A． |
It's unexpected. |
| B． |
It's beautiful. |
| C． |
It's humorous. |
| D． |
It's discouraging. |
Pacific Science Center Guide
◆ Visit Pacific Science Center's Store
Don't forget to stop by Pacific Science Center's Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located(位于) upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laster Dome.
◆ Hungry
Our exhibits will feed your mind but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour before Pacific Science Center closes.
◆ Rental Information
Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.
◆S upport Pacific Science Center
Since 1962 Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion(热情) for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and beings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and community events all over Washington State. It's an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Wish pacificorganzier.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.
21. Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?
| A． |
In Building 1. |
| B． |
In Building 3. |
| C． |
At the last Dome. |
| D． |
At the Denny Way entrance. |
22. What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?
| A． |
Train Science teachers. |
| B． |
Distribute science books. |
| C． |
Distribute scientific research. |
| D． |
Take science to the classroom. |
23. What is the purpose of the last part of the text?
| A． |
To encourage donations. |
| B． |
To advertise coming events. |
| C． |
To introduce special exhibits. |
| D． |
To tell about the Center's history. |
Bad news sells. If it bleeds, it leads. No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers.But now that information is being spread and monitored(监控) in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules. By tracking people's e-mails and online posts, scientists have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.
"The 'if it bleeds' rule works for mass media," says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. "They want your eyeballs and don't care how you're feeling. But when you share a story with your friends, you care a lot more how they react. You don't want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer."
Researchers analyzing word-of-mouth communication-e-mails, Web posts and reviews, face-to-face conversations-found that it tended to be more positive than negative(消极的), but that didn't necessarily mean people preferred positive news. Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more good things than bad things? To test for that possibility, Dr. Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times' website. He and a Penn colleague analyzed the "most e-mailed" list for six months. One of his first findings was that articles in the science section were much more likely to make the list than non-science articles. He found that science amazed Times' readers and made them want to share this positive feeling with others.
Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad. They needed to be aroused(激发) one way or the other, and they preferred good news to bad. The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr. Berger explains in his new book, "Contagious: Why Things Catch On."
12 .What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to?
| A． |
News reports. |
B． |
Research papers. |
| C． |
Private e-mails. |
D． |
Daily conversations． |
13.What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer?
| A． |
They're socially inactive. |
| B． |
They're good at telling stories. |
| C． |
They're inconsiderate of others. |
| D． |
They're careful with their words. |
14.Which tended to be the most e-mailed according to Dr. Berger's research?
| A． |
A . Sports new. |
B． |
Science articles. |
| C． |
Personal accounts. |
D． |
Financial reviews. |
15 .What can be a suitable title for the text?
| A． |
Sad Stories Travel Far and Wide |
| B． |
B .Online News Attracts More People |
| C． |
Reading Habits Change with the Times |
| D． |
Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks |
If you are a fruit grower-or would like to become one-take advantage of Apple Day to see what's around.
It's called Apple Day but in practice it's more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but sinceit has
caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.
Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn't taste of anything special, it's still worth a try, as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cat's Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.
There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it's a pipe dreamfor most apple lovers who fall for it.
At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.
Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园).If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.
8.What can people do at the apple events?
| A． |
Attend experts' lectures. |
B． |
Visit fruit-loving families. |
| C． |
Plant fruit trees in an orchard. |
D． |
Taste many kinds of apples. |
9.What can we learn about Decio?
| A． |
It is a new variety. |
B． |
It has a strange look. |
| C． |
It is rarely seen now. |
D． |
It has a special taste. |
10.What does the underlined phrase "a pipe dream" in Paragraph 3mean?
| A． |
A practical idea. |
B． |
A vain hope. |
| C． |
A brilliant plan. |
D． |
A selfish desire. |
11.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
| A． |
To show how to grow apples. |
| B． |
B .To introduce an apple festival. |
| C． |
To help people select apples. |
| D． |
To promote apple research. |