A 26-year-old Montreal man appears to have succeeded in his quest to barter a single， red paper clip(夹子) all the way up to a house. It took almost a year and 14 trades， but Kyle MacDonald has been offered a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling， Sask.， for a paid role in a movie.
MacDonald began his quest last summer when he decided he wanted to live in a house. He didn’t have a job， so instead of posting a resumé， he looked at a red paper clip on his desk and decided to trade it on an Internet website. The response was immediate —a fish pen was offered for exchange. MacDonald then bartered the fish pen for a handmade doorknob from a potter in Seattle.
In Massachusetts， MacDonald traded the doorknob for a camp stove. He traded the stove to a U.S. soldier in California for a generator. Then he exchanged the generator for an “instant party kit” — an empty keg(小桶) and an illuminated Budweiser beer sign. MacDonald then traded the keg and sign for a snowmobile. He bartered all the way up to an afternoon with rock star Alice Cooper， a KISS snow globe and finally a paid role in a Corbin Bernsen movie.
“Now， I’m sure the first question on your mind is， ‘Why would Corbin Bernsen trade a role in a film for a snow globe？ A KISS snow globe，’ MacDonald said on his website.”Well， Corbin happens to be arguably one of the biggest snow globe collectors on the planet.
Now， the town of Kipling， Sask.， Canada， with a population of 1,100，has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie. The town is going to hold a competition for the movie role.
MacDonald said： “There’re people all over the world that are saying that they have paper clips clipped to the top of their computer， or on their desk or on their shirt， and it proves that anything is possible and I think to a certain degree it’s true.”
MacDonald， who has attracted international media attention in his quest， said the journey has turned out to be more exciting than the goal. “This is not the end. This may be the end of this part of the story， but this story will go on.”The best title for this passage is “ ”.
| A．A lucky paper clip | B．From poor to rich |
| C．A lucky young man | D．From paper clip to house |
The underlined word in line 1 means .
| A．to get something for free | B．to sell something at a price |
| C．to sell goods on the Internet | D．to exchange goods for other goods |
Which shows the correct order of the trades？
| A．Paper clipsnow globesnowmobilehouse |
| B．Paper clipkeg of beerdoorknobsnowmobile |
| C．Paper clipcamp stovesnowmobilemovie role |
| D．Paper clipkeg of beercamp stovesnowmobile |
Which statement about MacDonald’s trades is TRUE？
| A．All of his trades were done in his country. |
| B．A film role was offered due to Bernsen’s hobby. |
| C．They took over a year and some of them were really unbelievable. |
| D．The house in Kipling has been offered to MacDonald to attract media. |
What can we learn about MacDonald？
| A．He wanted to gain fame through his quest. |
| B．His success largely depended on the Internet. |
| C．He never expected his aim could be achieved. |
| D．He intends to begin another quest on the Web. |
When Xia Min started drinking alcohol（酒精，乙醇） with her classmates at a friend’s birthday, she didn’t realize what would happen to her. She drank a lot and fell into a coma (昏迷). The 15year-old girl from Chongqing never recovered.
Xia’s death is warning to other students. A new rule went into effect on January 1, 2006. Teens are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Shops are not allowed to sell it to them.
A 1999 Chinese law forbade (禁止) shops to sell alcohol to youths under 18. But it is not taken seriously by shopkeepers because it doesn’t have specific rules. People hope the new rule will work.
I tasted alcohol when having the dinner of the last New Years Eve, said Lian Yuqi, a 16-year-old girl in Xiamen. She believes that the new rule will stop teens from drinking and help them grow in a healthy way.
Although it may be a little disappointing not to have beer at parties, I think we can have soft drinks instead, she said.Xia Min died from alcohol at the age of ______.
| A．15 | B．16 | C．17 | D．18 |
The underlined rd it means ________.
| A．a warning sing | B．a shopkeeper |
| C．the new rule | D．a 1999 Chinese law |
We can know that ________.
| A．it is against the new rule for youths under 18 to drink alcohol |
| B．shops can sell alcohol to a 16 years old youth. |
| C．without an ID card, young people cant buy alcohol |
| D．it seems that the young girl, Liang Yuqi, likes to drink alcohol |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The new rule has worked very well. |
| B．Shopkeepers can sell alcohol to teens above 18. |
| C．Chinas legal drinking age is clearly under18. |
| D．Many teens drink alcohol to show theyve grown up. |
If your mother wants to tell you something , she uses words . Birds can not talk as we do . But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger . They have their own ways to make the young birds do certain thing .
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe . Jackdaws live together in flocks. (群) Yong jackdaws do not know their enemies . When an older jackdaw sees a dog , it makes a loud tattling (格格响的)sound. The young birds know this sound means an enemy is nearby. The sounds warns them to know their enemy .
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind .The parent bird flies low over the young bird’s back, the parents’ tail feathers move quickly from side to side, It is trying to say , “ Follow me .”
At the same time , the parent calls out , “ Key-aw ,Key-aw .” The parent means , “ Fly home with me .” The young bird then follows the older one home .
Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch （孵化，小鸡等出壳）.The jackdaw lives in _____ .
| A．Europe | B．Australia |
| C．America | D．Africa |
When an old jackdaw sees a dog , it _____ .
| A．calls out “Follow me .” | B．makes a loud sound |
| C．flies away | D．fights the dog . |
Parent jackdaw can use their tail feathers to ______ .
| A．ask their young to follow them |
| B．play a game with the young |
| C．tell the meal time |
| D．give a warning of a fire |
Which of the following does this story lead you to believe ?
| A．All animal parents can talk to their young. |
| B．Dogs are the most dangerous enemies for jackdaws. |
| C．Young jackdaws know the meaning of their parentssound when they grow older. |
| D．Some birds can give certain information to one another. |
BEIJING, Feb. 26 (China Daily) -- As the smog orange warning continues, tourist attractions in Beijing are experiencing a significant decline (下降) in visitor number.
A new report launched by Beijing authorities on the morning of February 24 indicates that the concentration of PM 2.5 has risen, with no sign of decreasing, the orange warning will still be in effect, according to Xinhua News Agency.
According to data released by the Beijing Tourism Website, by 2:00 pm, February 24, popular tourist attractions including The Great Wall and Palace Museum had been affected by the smog in terms of tourist numbers.
As for the Palace Museum, the number of visitors was only 11,200 that day, far from the figure of 40,000, which is the daily average number of visitors it normally receives.
There were a few visitors in Beihai Park on the morning of February 24, and two visitors from Hebei province planned to end their morning tour earlier than scheduled because of the smog. One of them said, “The visibility is so poor that we can’t take good photos, or even see clearly. We’d better leave early.”
In response to worsening air conditions, travel agencies have also taken some measures to avoid a further decline in tourist numbers. An employee with China Youth Travel Service, Wang Tao, said the agency will inform tourists of the weather conditions at their destinations. A tour guide with China Travel Service also told the media that it was a tour guide’s duty to inform foreign visitors of the smog conditions in Beijing, and the agency will provide free face masks to those in need. But efforts to do so merely treat the symptom rather than the disease itself, because the root cause is air pollution. China will introduce various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution. Officials and experts called for combined efforts by governments, industries and the public to cooperate more efficiently and to jointly solve the problem.In the following statements, which one is NOT TRUE?
| A．The tourism in Beijing was influenced by the hazy weather. |
| B．Both the Great Wall and Palace Museum had been affected by the smog. |
| C．The concentration of PM 2.5 has risen, but it will decrease soon. |
| D．According to the data released by the Beijing Tourism Website, we can know the information. |
According to the passage, if the weather is fine, how many visitors will the Palace Museum receive in a week?
| A．About 11,200. | B．About 78,400. |
| C．About 40,000. | D．About 280,000. |
The most effective way to solve the problem of air pollution is to _______.
| A．take some measures of treating the symptom merely |
| B．unite the power of governments, industries and the public |
| C．provide free face masks to those in need |
| D．inform tourists of the weather conditions at their destinations |
What does the author most probably mean by saying “efforts to do so merely treat the
symptom rather than the disease itself” in the last paragraph?
| A．These efforts could treat the symptom and the disease. |
| B．Treating the symptom is more important than the disease. |
| C．These efforts are not enough to solve the problem thoroughly. |
| D．These efforts couldn’t treat the disease, so they are unnecessary. |
AMERICANA HOTEL CRYSTAL CITY
Convenient location 5 minutes from Washington ,D.C. and one block to Crystal City Metro, Crystal City Underground. Alexandria. Free Parking, free Deluxe Continental breakfast and complimentary（收费的）Hotel Shuttle(区间公共汽车) Service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
14000 Jefferson Davis Hwy(endurance on S. Eads St.)
Phone (703) 979-3722
DAYS INN ARLINGTON
Days Inn Arlington is located two miles from the Pentagon ,Lincoln Memorial .There is a restaurant which serves American style food ,plus two meeting rooms and an outdoor pool. Complimentary shuttle service runs to the Rosslyn Metro Station. Complimentary parking is available on the property .An experienced staff welcomes our guests.
Phone（703）525-0300
THE HIGHLANDER MOTOR INN
Comfortable rooms at moderate prices. Convenient location only minutes away from Washington area attraction. Near VA Square Metro Station and Ballston Commons Shopping Centre. Free continental breakfast， free parking.
Phone(703)524-4300
HYATT REGENCY CRYSTAL CITY
Conveniently located next to Washington National Airport and two miles from Washington D.C. Complimentary Shuttle to and from National Airport, metro, local restaurants and shopping .Experience a view to remember at our rooftop restaurants “Chesapeake Grill”. Call for Reservations.
Phone(073)418-12341Which hotel does not provide service to drive its guests to the airport or metro stations?
| A．Americana Hotel Crystal City | B．Days Inn Arlington |
| C．Hyatt Regency Crystal City | D．The Highlander Motor Inn |
If you want to stay in a hotel which provides free parking and free breakfast , which
telephone numbers will you ring to ask for further information?
| A．(703)525-0300 or (703)979-3722 |
| B．(703)524-4300 or (073) 418-12341 |
| C．(073) 525-0300 or (703) 418-12341 |
| D．(703)979-3722 or (703)524-4300 |
Which hotel is close to airports?
| A．Days Inn Arlington | B．Hyatt Regency Crystal City |
| C．The Highlander Motor Inn | D．Americana Hotel Crystal City |
A group of swimmers has described how a group of dolphins protected them from a group of white sharks （食人鲨）off the coast of New Zealand. The lifeguards were on a training swim when they came across a group of great white sharks before the dolphins raced in to help.
The swimmers were surrounded by the dolphins for forty minutes before they were able to make them safety back to the beach. It was an uncomfortable experience as they were circled by a group of white sharks, which came within a couple of meters of them. Lifeguard Rob Howes was in the water with a colleague and his teenage daughter. He said around half a dozen dolphins suddenly appeared and forced them to gather together. The mammals swam in tight circles to create a protective wall between the white sharks and the lifeguards as the great white sharks were under the surface.
The swimmers said the dolphins were extremely upset and repeatedly slapped (拍打) the water with their tails as if to try to prevent the white sharks from attacking them. It’s a day they’ll never forget, especially for one who was on her first day as a volunteer. They have no doubt that the dolphins acted on purpose to protect them. Researchers have said that they’re not surprised. A marine biologist insisted that dolphins, which are considered to be one of the most intelligent mammals, “like to help the helpless.”How many swimmers are attacked by the white sharks?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
It seemed that the dolphins slapped the water with their tails to ____.
| A．attack the white sharks and the lifeguards |
| B．play with water together for pleasure |
| C．stop the lifeguards being harmed by the sharks |
| D．attract the white sharks to kill the lifeguards |
The underlined words “a volunteer” refers to____.
| A．a lifeguard | B．Rob Howes’s workmate |
| C．Rob Howes | D．Rob Howes’s daughter |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．Dolphins Protect Swimmers from Sharks |
| B．Sharks Protect Swimmers from Dolphins |
| C．Lifeguards Protect Dolphins from Sharks |
| D．Lifeguards Protect Sharks from Dolphins |