American like to visit the national parks. In 1996, over 250,000,000 people visited areas run by the National Park Service. Experts predict that by 2010, 500,000,000 people per year will visit the parks. As a result, people are trying to think of ways to protect the parks from the crowds.
The crowding of the parks has caused several problems. One is that there is not enough space for all of the people who want to use the parks. To cope with this problem, national parks may require reservations months in advance for some spots. The Park Service may also raise entrance fees at these places.
Another problem caused by increased park use is pollution. Some garbage and waste can be cleaned up, and the cleanup can be paid for by increased entrance fees. To cut down on noise pollution and air pollution, officials may decrease the number of cars allowed in parks. If this happens, people may use buses to travel around the parks. Officials may also limit the use of jet-skis, snowmobiles (摩托雪橇), motorboats, and sightseeing helicopters and 
planes.
The parks are also threatened by development that is going on around them. For example, around Yellow Stone Park, many motels (汽车旅馆), golf courses, resorts, and other tourist attractions have been built. Some of these developments affect areas that are used by animals. People will have to learn to agree about ways to protect the parks. If they do not, there will soon be no reason to visit these national treasures.By 2010, the number of visitors will rise by ______ per year.
| A．250 million | B．500 million | C．2.5 billion | D．5 billion |
If you want to visit the national parks, you may have to _____ in the future.
| A．pay less than before | B．stay there for months |
C．book the ticket before months |
D．fill in a form to apply for the ticket |
Entrance fees may be increased _______.
| A．just for the benefit of the National Park Service |
| B．either to limit the number of visitors or to pay for the cleaner |
| C．not only to protect the animals but to reduce the noise pollution |
| D．merely for the development of the national parks |
What does the underlined sentence in the passage mean?
A．People are not supposed to visit the national parks for fear that they will ha rm the animals. |
B．Only if more man-made t ou rist attractions are built will more people visit the parks. |
| C．It is reasonable to keep the balance between the development of the parks and the reserve. |
| D．People will not visit the national parks since there are no golf courses and resorts. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．High fees may probably keep some people out of parks. |
| B．Helicopters and planes will not be used in parks any longer. |
| C．The bus will become the only toot in parks with the purpose of pollution reduction. |
| D．The National Park Service welcomes as many visitors as possible. |
The new year has begun and some people may be looking to 2015 as the year they get a dog. A furry friend will bring a lot of fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. But looking after a pet does require some responsibility from the pet owner if you want your new friend to be healthy and happy in your family.
The following is a checklist for people who are considering adopting an animal.
Where to find a dog
There are hundreds of pet shops in Shanghai, big and small, where you can find puppies at a cost ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of yuan. The pet shop will tell you some basic facts about dogs of a specific breed. But don't forget to ask about the vaccination status if you are buying a puppy, which needs three injections with an interval of three to four weeks between shots.
Another option is to ask your friends if they know anyone with a dog that has recently had puppies. This option is more reliable than buying a puppy from someone you don’t know, especially the street peddlers who might carry animals with diseases.
Another highly recommended option is to adopt one from an NGO dedicated to providing shelter and protecting stray animals. This is quite practical if you don't care about the dog's breed.
Vaccination (疫苗)
As a pet owner, there are some things you must do otherwise you may get into big trouble, and one of these is getting your dog vaccinated.
Dogs need regular shots to fight against canine parvovirus (犬细小病毒), rabies and other diseases or viruses.
To ensure the vaccines are not substandard, we strongly recommend you get your furry friend a shot from a qualified vet, which may cost a few hundred yuan each year.
Another advantage of using the vet as opposed to getting your dog vaccinated yourself, is that the vet will examine its condition to see whether it is suitable to get a shot now and take immediate action if it has an allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Because you are advised not to give your animal a bath for one week following its vaccination, you should clean your animal one or two days before the shot if you don’t want your dog to get too dirty.
Parasite (寄生虫) protection
As a pet owner, you need to be prepared to get rid of fleas (跳蚤), heartworm (犬心虫), roundworm (蛔虫）, intestinal worms and other parasites from your dog.
Dogs need regular flea and tick control and parasite protection, even if it does not show symptoms of being affected by the parasite. An adult dog needs to be fed with a tablet every six months to make sure it does not have any parasite.
You also need to take measures every three months to help expel fleas and ticks from your animal. You need to learn the signs of a flea bite: they may immediately cause a dog to feel extremely itchy. Within 30 minutes of a bite, they may develop a red bump. Secondary infections caused by scratching are also common.
Dog training
No dog is born with good manners. Pooping on the carpet, leaping enthusiastically onto guests, pulling so hard that it practically yanks your arm out of the socket when on walks — that’s all perfectly acceptable in the canine world. It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to.
Despite the adage（谚语；格言） about old dogs and new tricks, there are no age limits to teaching dogs. And whether you've got a brand-new puppy or an older dog, the first step is the same: learn how to be a good teacher.
Every dog is different and will respond better to a slightly different training style, but these general guidelines apply: stay consistent and patient, and reward your dog for getting it right.The underlined word “vet” means____________.
| A．a surgeon | B．a physician |
| C．a dentist | D．a doctor who treats animals |
According to the article, how many aspects should a pet owner pay attention to?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
Which of the following sentences is FALSE?
| A．A dog can bring much fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. |
| B．As a pet owner, it is unnecessary for you to be prepared to get rid of fleas. |
| C．It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to. |
| D．After getting a dog, the first step for its owner is to be a good teacher. |
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate（照亮）me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair (失望) and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist（心理学家），who will only fill up the healing（愈合的）silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
| A．become serious about her study |
| B．go to her friend’s house regularly |
| C．learn from her classmates at school |
| D．share poems and stories with her friend |
In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
| A．our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us |
| B．we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London |
| C．our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared |
| D．we parted with each other in London |
According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
| A．call each other regularly |
| B．have similar personalities |
| C．enjoy writing to each other |
| D．dream of meeting each other |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Unforgettable Experiences |
| B．Remarkable Imagination |
| C．Lifelong Friendship |
| D．Noble Companions |
Do you enjoy reading poems? Rabindranath Tagore (泰戈尔) was an Indian writer and poet, who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Composed of 326 short verses, Stray Birds (飞鸟集) is a collection of short verses translated from Bengali into English by the poet himself, where Tagore spiritualizes nature into the experiences of human existence while demonstrating his love for nature and simplicity through poetic words.
Now read the following verses taken from Stray Birds (1916) and try to answer the questions.
•Man does not reveal himself in his history, he struggles up through it. (verse 52)
•The cloud stood humbly (谦逊的) in a corner of the sky.
The morning crowned it with splendor (光辉). (verse 100)
•Man is worse than an animal when he is an animal. (verse 248)
•Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave.
The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him. (verse 127)
•The stream of truth flows through its channels of mistakes. (verse 243)
•Let him only see the thorns who has eyes to see the rose. (verse 230)
•Set bird’s wings with gold and it will never again soar in the sky. (verse 231)
•Men are cruel, but Man is kind. (verse 219)
•Let me not put myself wrongly to my world and set it against me. (verse 206)
•Wrong cannot afford defeat but right can. (verse 68)
•“I give my whole water in joy,” sings the waterfall. “though little of it is enough for the thirsty.” (verse 69)
•The woodcutter’s axe(斧头) begged for its handle from the tree.
The tree gave it. (verse 71)
•Thank the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience. (verse 64)Which of the verses sing praise for those who are ready to sacrifice (奉献) themselves without asking anything in return?
| A．verse 248 &69 | B．verse 71 & 100 | C．verse 69 & 71 | D．verse 100& 52 |
Which of the verse makes strong comparison and contrast between two opposite types of persons?
| A．verse 68 | B．verse 248 | C．verse 127 | D．verse 243 |
Which of the verses might be most suitable said to parents, telling them not to spoil their children with wealth?
| A．verse 231 | B．verse 71 | C．verse 127 | D．verse 100 |
STRANGERS parties go wild these days. The main idea of them is to never let the people know who their matches are until the last minute. These are some popular practices that are storming the world’s youth on this V-day.
Speed dating
It’s exactly what the name implies. Complete with a timer, a whistle and 50 willing singles, speed dating is not the traditional dinner and a movie type of first date. Singles pay US $35 for three minutes with more than two dozen future dates. They ask questions and try to get to know each other. At the sound of a whistle, they do the same thing all over again―25 times in all.
Lock and key party
Women are given a lock and men are given a key, upon arriving at the party. Each key and lock has several matches. One can hunt for his/her later-to-be sweetheart in various groups, and try out the key or lock. Each time a lock and key match the pair are entered into a ballot（票数） for top prizes!
Dinner in the dark
Waiters wearing night vision glasses guide the guests through the pitch-black dining room. They are seated at the table and familiarized with the wine glass and plate. Food is handled with the fingers. People will not see the food they are eating or the guests at their table until the dessert course. At that moment, dining partners will appear.
Message party
Have A Cocktail, Leave A Message! When you arrive, you get a tag with a number and a pad of post-it notes. If you see someone you like, write a message on the message board. But wait… You’ve got a message… Go and collect it! You can make new friends and win lots of gifts. The more messages you leave on the bulletin board, the more chances you have of winning prizes.What do you think the similarities of these parties are?
| A．All the parties have very strict rules for their members. |
| B．If you want to go to any of the parties, you have to buy a ticket. |
| C．All the parties are aimed at strangers who want to be lovers. |
| D．All the parties are suitable not only for the young but for the old. |
In which party does a participant have to be careful with the time?
| A．Speed dating. | B．Lock and key party. |
| C．Dinner in the dark. | D．Message party. |
If you go to the Dinner in the dark, ____________.
| A．you have to wear night vision glasses |
| B．you have to eat with your hands |
| C．guests eat all the courses in the darkness |
| D．your dining partners will help you choose the food |
How many of the parties offer gifts or prizes?
| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease. Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group. What is TRUE about the Framingham Study?
| A．It was only conducted in 1948. |
| B．It involves more than 12,000 participants. |
| C．It was led by John Cacioppo. |
| D．It showed that any behavior could spread. |
Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?
| A．The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends. |
| B．No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives. |
| C．Women are more likely to be affected than men. |
| D．Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Actions should be taken to help lonely people. |
| B．People feel lonely for many reasons. |
| C．Ways to fight against loneliness. |
| D．Lonely people can affect others. |