"A survey was conducted in Shanghai where interviewees were asked if they wanted to be a factory worker．One percent of all people interviewed said “YES," Wang Hongjun, a technician, said, raising his voice for dramatic effect．"But I can tell you, only a small part of that 1 percent are telling the truth．"
I've met colorful people like Wang all over
China．They are cynical（玩世不恭的） yet warmhearted, plain spoken but smart．And many of them are confined（局限于）to work in factories．
Wang is a top technician but also represents manual fact
ory workers, who are China's most important natural resource．Their energy is powering China's economic boom, and their muscle is turning the wheel of the world's factory．
But does their unskilled labor give their life meaning? At school, did they tell their friends: "When I grow up I want to work in a factory making socks?" Did you?
Factory work has always been a stepping-stone from farm life to the city and a modern life．It's been happening for centuries, but today, with our space-age technology, it's outdated．Earning 1,200 yuan （$169） per month working in a factory is better than that on a farm, but as Wang points out, it's not a dream career．There should be better ways to earn your rice．
Many modern factories no longer have production line workers．Robots do the assembly（装配）．People just do the monitoring．In this age of technology, in which China is n
ow working smarter and not just harder, why are people still standing in production lines?
But life is cheap in China．So why not continue to exploit the low-cost labor situation and keep the economy growing fast, some entrepreneurs may ask．How many people surveyed really like to be factory workers?
| A．One percent |
B．Only a small part |
| C．Only a small part of that one percent |
| D．The writer didn’t mention it． |
Which is NOT the writer's opinion of factory workers?
| A．cynical | B．unimportant |
| C．warmhearted | D．plain spoken |
Wang Hongjun is a person who is ．
| A．difficult to get along with |
| B．humorous but serious |
| C．cynical but warmhearted, plain spoken but smart |
| D．full of energy but doesn't want to work hard |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Factory workers make contributions to China's economic boom． |
| B．Working in a factory is better than that on a farm． |
| C．Factory workers are satisfied with their living conditions． |
| D．Some entrepreneurs exploited the low-cost labor situation． |
The writer uses to begin the passage．
| A．a lot of figures | B．many examples |
| C．some dialogue | D．the result of a survey |
Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
| A．It's small in size. |
| B．It's hidden in trees. |
| C．It's covered with wax. |
| D．It's hard to recognize. |
The honey guide is special in the way.
| A．it gets its food |
| B．it goes to church |
| C．it sings in the forest |
| D．it reaches into bees' nests |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Wild Bees |
| B．Wax and Honey |
| C．Beekeeping in Africa |
| D．Honey-Lover's Helper |
Europe is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide publisher, has offered pairs of cities for culturehungry but timepoor travelers.
London and Paris
It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high-speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades－but each secretly looks up to the other.
No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris' Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee.
In Paris, you'll see diners linger over red wine. While in London, you can try some afternoon tea, eat fish and chips or salted cake.
Vienna and Bratislava
Austrian capital Vienna and Slovakia city Bratislava are an hour apart by train. But since they are linked by the Danube River, the best way to travel is by ship. A tour of the two cities is the perfect way to experience everything from 17th century’s Habsburg dynasty splendor to scifi restaurants.
Vienna is famous for Mozart and imperial palaces. You can appreciate the perfect blending of architecture and nature in the grand Schonbrunn Palace, and reward yourself with a cup of Vienna coffee, which has made its way to the world's cultural heritage list.
Bratislava is best known for its fine dining－the remarkable UFO restaurant. You can enjoy a meatladen dinner here in an amazing setting.What’s the relationship between London and Paris according to the text?
| A．They help each other. |
| B．They attack each other. |
| C．They admire each other. |
| D．They don't like each other. |
What are the advantages of Paris mentioned in the article?
a. The Louvre Museum
b. Free access to museums
c. More outdoor attractions
d. Better wines and perfumes
| A．ac | B．cd | C．acd | D．bcd |
Which of the cities should you choose if you are interested in scifi restaurants?
| A．London. | B．Paris. |
| C．Glasgow. | D．Bratislava. |
Lonely Planet recommends these two pairs of cities because ________.
| A．they are not expensive to visit |
| B．they are best known to the world |
| C．they are always enemies between each other |
| D．they are close but different in many aspects |
My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas，little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here，her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.
One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was to complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.
I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn't feel like one then.
That memory just like my Nanny's love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow, and to love.Nanny’s family immigrated to America mainly because _____.
| A．they suffered starvation in their homeland |
| B．they wanted to start a rich life in the new land |
| C．they tried to get away from the terrible climate |
| D．their country was in war and they needed peace |
The boy complained to Nanny that the food _____.
| A．wasn't cooked the way his mom did |
| B．was served a bit later than usual |
| C．was prepared in a special way |
| D．was just to his parents’ taste |
When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt _____.
| A．surprised | B．ashamed |
| C．shocked | D．annoyed |
The author mainly wants to tell us that _____.
| A．forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it |
| B．hardships can make children more indifferent |
| C．grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren |
| D．family ties can sometimes be misused |
Imagine a house that keeps itself warm in the wintertime. Think of the savings in terms of fuel bills and unfriendly emissions. Such houses in fact exist, called “passive houses”. The concept of these highly energy-efficient buildings took root in the 1990s, before slowly consolidating as a niche construction (生态位构建) concept in the 2000s. Are passive houses now actively moving into the mainstream as sustainable buildings?
For Brian McGarry, an economics lecturer who built a family house based on passive housing criteria in the Pyrenees this year, the arguments look convincing. As his first full winter in the low energy house draws in, we asked him to keep us informed. Do passive houses work?
I had never heard of a passive house in February 2012, when I purchased a plot of land. Nor did I expect that I would be persuaded to build a pre-constructed, custom-designed house based on energy-efficient passive house criteria. It promised to be easier and quicker to build, cheaper to run, and more comfortable to live in. The objective was to incorporate the fundamental concepts of passive energy management into my project: an airtight and highly insulated building envelope; large southfacing double or triple-glazed windows (if possible, filled with argon gas) that passively capture the energy of the sun; a heat recovery ventilation system to provide fresh air; and a simple, low-cost heating system consisting of a modern wood-burning stove, a bathroom heater and a portable radiator backup for when the sun doesn’t shine and temperatures decline. No significant limitations were placed on the design, and it had excellent environmental credentials. Moreover, the cost was no more than a conventional build.
After six months in use, the house is proving to be both cheap to run and remarkably comfortable–staying cool in the hot summer was effortless, as long as the windows were shuttered or shaded from the sun. Nowstaying warm in the cold, high-altitude December climate also seems easy, so far.
Winter arrived in force in the Pyrenees in November, with abundant snowfalls and temperatures as low as minus 8° Celsius. Though early days, the house has responded well: the stove is lit during cold evenings but the portable radiator has not yet been needed. This type of construction seems not only to make economic and environmental sense, but to enhance our quality of life, too.We can learn from Paragraph one that passive houses __________.
| A．consume extra energy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer |
| B．had been introduced for a decade before the birth of the theory |
| C．appeal to both the self-builders and those constructors |
| D．refer to a certain house comfortable, costly and also pleasing |
Regarding the passive energy management, the houses have characteristics EXCEPT _______
| A．using south-facing windows to take in solar energy |
| B．Providing energy for taking a shower when it’s rainy |
| C．supplying fresh air with a special heat recovery system |
| D．placing more demands and restrictions on the design |
How did Brian McGarry find his self-built passive house?
| A．very unaffordable | B．Energy-consuming |
| C．comfortable to live in | D．Awkward to use |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the passive housing?
| A．supportive | B．critical |
| C．oppositive | D．doubtful |
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity (密切关系) to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best urn(瓮) of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, if remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort.
Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effects of time have been to filter out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.A good book may be among the best of friends because_____.
| A．it changes over the past of time |
| B．it contains all kinds of knowledge |
| C．it doesn’t betray us when we are in trouble |
| D．it comforts us in youth and instructs us in age |
“Love me, love my book” in paragraph 3 probably means _______?
| A．If you love me, you must reading books. |
| B．The book can be a bond between friends. |
| C．I love books as much I love friends. |
| D．If you love the author, you will love his books. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Time can tell whether a literature is good or bad. |
| B．All books are our constant companions and comforters. |
| C．Temples, statues and books cannot stand the test of time. |
| D．The world of a man’s thoughts is what his life is all about. |
The best title for this passage can be.
| A．Reading Books | B．A Good Book |
| C．Our Best Friend | D．Companionship of Books |