With the rapid development of public transport system, big cities like Shanghai hope to ease the traffic jams and pollution caused by an increasing number of cars.
Statistics show that Shanghai’s subway lines will reach 350 km by the end of this year, making the city No. 3 in the world in terms of subway length. Shanghai could be ranked No. 1 when the length is extended to 430 km next May in time for the World Expo. This means about 5.5 million people each day could use the city’s subway system, thereby reducing traffic bottle-necks and air and noise pollution in downtown Shanghai.
At present, Shanghai suffers from severe traffic jams, during not only rush hours and weekdays but also off-peak hours and weekends.
For years, car emissions (尾气) have been blamed for contributing 60 percent of the air pollution in the city center, causing various respiratory (呼吸道) diseases.
What’s more, Shanghai has not met its target of noise reduction for five years, which has become a major source of public complaints. Starting from August 1, cars that are considered highly polluting will be banned from entering the city centre.
Shanghai is also building 16 parking lots with 8,000 spaces near subway terminals so that people can park and ride the public system instead of driving their cars into the city center.
Much more needs to be done for truly easing the traffic jams and air and noise pollution caused by automobiles. For example, the ban on using the horn, which was made effective from June 1, 2007, has not really been carried out.
Many local people still regard owning and driving a car as a kind of demonstration(炫耀) of their wealth, without realizing the traffic and environmental hazards it can cause. When the subway system can take people to their destinations, driving a private car in downtown Shanghai could become a moral issue.
45. The best title for the passage may be___________.
A. Efforts to Ease Crowding & Pollution
B. Results of Public Transport System
C. Possibilities to Reduce Private Cars
D. Ways to Reduce Car Emission
46. The following is true EXCEPT that Shanghai _________.
A. Shanghai is building 16 parking lots for private cars in the city center
B. could be No. 1 in terms of subway length next May
C. has problems with crowding not only in rush hours
D. has strong public complaints about noise pollution
47. Guess the correct meaning of the underlined word “hazards”.
A. sudden changes B. violent forces
C. public dislikes D. dangerous results
48. The writer intends to tell us________ in the last two paragraphs.
A. though many plans have been carried out, the situation is hopeless
B. difficult as the situation seems, Shanghai is sure to overcome it
C. whether the problems will be solved depends on people’s action
D. environmental problem should be regarded as a moral issue.
Museums
Skyscraper Museum
Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Adults: $5
305-756-2385
Interested in tall buildings? Design? Then this museum is for you!!! Check the historical buildings and their special design right in lower Manhattan.
Madame Tussaud’s Wax(蜡像) Museum
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Adults: $29 Students: $13
305-532-9623
The students in Manhattan had an exciting experience at Madame Tussaud’s! They met hundreds of famous people at a discounted price! This museum is your chance to meet your idols and have a picture taken with them.
Bass Museum of Art
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Adults: $8 The old / Students: $6
305-673-7530http://www. bassmuseum.org
Enjoy European paintings, and sculptures. It also includes exhibitions of modern artists from different parts of the world. You will also enjoy visiting its beautiful museum shop and media center.
World Art Museum
Daily: 11:00 AM – Midnight (including holidays)
Cost: $15
305-532-9336http://www. weam.com
Located in the heart of the South Beach Art Deco district, this museum shouldn’t be missed! It is currently one of South Florida’s hottest new attractions.If you are into how to build a house, you may go to_______.
| A．Skyscraper Museum | B．Bass Museum of Art |
| C．World Art Museum | D．Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum |
If you want to go to a museum, but you are only free after 10 pm, you can phone_______.
| A．305-673-7530 | B．305-532-9336 |
| C．305-532-9623 | D．305-756-2385 |
If your classmate is going to Bass Museum of Art with his grandparents, how much will they pay?
| A．$22 | B．$24 | C．$18 | D．$20 |
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US President. The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a wonderfully written book.” However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr. Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar(说谎者)．
And it seems that he is not the only one. Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In The World Book Day survey, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading. As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books. But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s absolutely outstanding．
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to. This could be difficult if the conversation became more in-depth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it. It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named JK Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King. Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story．
So which books have you lied about reading —if any — and which is your favorite?The main reason why people lie about reading is to __________.
| A．make fun of the listener | B．impress the listener |
| C．please the listener | D．interest the listener |
The underlined word “proceeded” in the passage probably means“___________”.
| A．wanted | B．happened | C．continued | D．stopped |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Are You A Book Liar? | B．Readers Are All Liars |
| C．World Book Day | D．Dreams From My Father |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants, who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool．When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don’t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile’s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn’t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish’s skin．“Cleaner” fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals __________．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other | C．get their food | D．Take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that ________．
| A．dust can dry their fur and skin |
| B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them |
| D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we can know that __________．
| A．Some animals can get clean from others’ help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．Small animals couldn’t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the wrasse_____.
| A．is often eaten by other fish |
| B．1ikes under other fish’s skin |
| C．is a small kind of fish |
| D．1ikes taking baths |
Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British company by Cambridge University, has, however, invented a novel way to get round this. In return for a deposit of around $10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with a solar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity, a battery that can deliver a three amp（安培） current to store this electricity, and a lamp whose bulb is a light-emitting diode（二极管）. The firm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough to light two small rooms and to power a mobile-phone charger for seven hours. Then, next day, it can be put outside and charged back up again.
The trick is that, to be able to use the electricity, the system's keeper must buy a scratch card—for as little as a dollar—on which is printed a reference number. The keeper sends this reference, plus the serial number of the household solar unit, by SMS to Eight19. The company's server will respond automatically with an access code to the unit.
Users may consider that they are paying an hourly rate for their electricity. In fact, they are paying off the cost of the unit. After buying around $80 worth of scratch cards—which Eight19 expects would take the average family around 18 months—the user will own it. He will then have the option of continuing to use it for nothing, or of trading it in for a bigger one, perhaps driven by a 10-watt solar cell.
In that case, he would go then through the same process again, paying off the additional cost of the upgraded kit at a slightly higher rate. Users would therefore increase their electricity supply steadily and affordably.
According to Eight19's figures, this looks like a good deal for customers. The firm believes the average energy-starved Kenyan spends around $10 a month on oil—enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps—plus $2 on charging his mobile phone in the market-place. Regular users of one of Eight19's basic solar units will spend around half that, before owning it completely. Meanwhile, as the cost of solar technology falls, it should get even cheaper. The underlined word “get round” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _______ .
| A．make use of | B．come up with | C．look into | D．deal with |
What should the user do when the electricity in the battery is used up?
| A．Buy a scratch card. | B．Recharge it outside. |
| C．Buy another solar cell. | D．Return it to the company. |
How much would users pay for the cell and scratch cards before they own a 2.5-watt solar cell?
| A．Around $10. | B．Around $80. | C．Around $90. | D．Around $180. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ____________.
| A．Kenyan families would find it difficult to afford the solar cell |
| B．using the solar cell would help Kenyan families save money |
| C．few Kenyan families use mobile phones for lack of electricity |
| D．the company will make a great profit from selling solar cells |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Solar Energy: Starting from Scratch. |
| B．Eight19: a creative British Company. |
| C．Kenyan Families: Using Solar Energy for Free. |
| D．Poor Countries: Beginning to Use Solar Energy. |
LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
"The hate we hold within us is a cancer, " Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart's first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian- born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.
The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. "People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness," he said, "People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one."
Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
"The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with," said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people "want to get free of the past".From this passage we know that________.
| A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hate |
| B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors |
| C．without hate, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart |
| D．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies |
If you are angry with somebody, you should________.
| A．attend Hart’s course |
| B．never meet him or her any longer |
| C．persuade him or her to have a positive talk with you |
| D．treat him or her positively instead of negatively |
In Hart's first 20- week workshop, people there can ________.
| A．meet their enemies |
| B．change their attitudes |
| C．enjoy the professor's teaching |
| D．learn how to quarrel with others |
If you are a member in Hart's workshop, you'll________.
| A．meet in eight or ten groups |
| B．get rid of the illness of cancer |
| C．attend a gathering twice a month |
| D．pour out everything stored in your mind |
The author wrote this passage in order to________.
| A．persuade Britons to go to Hart's workshop |
| B．tell us the news about Hart's workshop |
| C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart's |
| D．help us to look at various kinds of angers |