Garden building is considered an important part of Chinese culture. Some people say that if you have never walked through a Chinese garden, you cannot say that you have really visited China.
Traditional Chinese gardens are located in North China in such places as Beihai Park, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City. In larger imperial gardens, the main buildings are connected by an imaginary（虚构的） line in the middle of the garden on the north-south axis(轴). Other features of imperial gardens are colored-paintings, man-made hills and lakes.
Most private gardens are found in the south, especially in cities south of the Yangtze River. Private gardens were mostly built at one side or at the back of the houses. Around the beautiful scene are small open areas with beautiful shaped-doors through which visitors can enjoy the sights. They are open on all sides and are often near the water so that the whole scene can be enjoyed. Suzhou, known as the home of gardens, displays the most and the best Chinese traditional private gardens. Different parts of it are examples of the garden style of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.[
The landscape（自然风景） garden contains a number of pleasant natural scenes and some fairy tales. The ancient Chinese used to call the garden landscape “Jing” , which means “scene” in English. Good examples include the ten West Lake Scenes in Hangzhou, the twenty-four slim West Lake in Yangzhou and the eight Daming Lake Scenes in Jinan. The passage tells mainly about ________.
| A．an important part of Chinese culture |
| B．how to enjoy Chinese gardens |
| C．where foreigners can find Chinese gardens |
| D．the characters of different style of Chinese garden building |
Which of the following is NOT true for the imperial garden?
| A．There is a north-south axis in the center of garden |
| B．They were built because of some fairy tales. |
| C．There are man-made hills and lakes in the gardens. |
| D．They have colored-paintings. |
According to the passage, we can learn that _______.
| A．Chinese people often invite foreigners to visit a Chinese garden. |
| B．The landscape garden reflects different styles of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. |
| C．All three kinds of gardens make up the important part of Chinese culture which is appreciated by the people all over the world. |
| D．People enjoy the private gardens more than other two styles. |
When Dean Arnold got his first job, he was miserable (痛苦的), Each time he went to work, he coughed and he couldn’t breathe. Working in a bakery(面包房) when you are allergic to (对…过敏) flour can be painful.
But Arnold stayed with the National Biscuit Company for ten years. He was a businessman and he helped them improve production. At last his health problems became too serious. He left and formed his own company.
With his wife and mother, he founded Arnold Bakery. They tried new recipes (配方) changing the kind and amount of flour used. This enabled Arnold to work there without too much pain. The bread, made with unbleached flour (标准粉), was baked in a brick oven (烘炉).
They began by baking two dozen loaves. The bread was sold door to door for fifteen cents a loaf. Winning customers to his unusual, old-fashioned bread took time. But Arnold, struggling against his allergy, built his bakery into one of the largest in the United States.A good title for this passage would be________.
| A．A Sick Baker | B．A Brick-oven Bread Baker |
| C．An Old-fashioned Baker | D．How to Overcome Allergy |
Dean left the National Biscuit Company because he________.
| A．suffered from allergy to flour |
| B．didn’t like the job |
| C．wanted to make more money |
| D．wanted to form his own company |
During his stay in the National Biscuit Company, ________.
| A．he founded Arnold Bakery |
| B．he tried a new method of baking |
| C．he helped the company improve their production |
| D．he became successful in his business |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Arnold’s bread was baked in a brick oven. |
| B．Arnold’s bread was made with unbleached flour. |
| C．Arnold’s bread was sold at a low price. |
| D．Arnold’s bread was of poor quality. |
From the passage we can conclude that Arnold was ________.
| A．determined | B．brave | C．unusual | D．unhealthy |
Mini Book Excerpts (节选)
Biography
When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land, the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.
J. D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski (Random House, $27)
Mystery (疑案小说)
"You're a smart boy. Benny's death was no accident, and you're the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it?" The boy was staring stubbornly at his lap again.
A thought suddenly occurred to Annika, "Did you …You recognized the man in the car, didn't you?"
The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers, "Maybe," he said quietly.
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund (Atria Books, $25.99)
Short Stories
She wants to say to him what she has learned, none of it in class. Some women are born stupid, and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give, and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers, some who they don't want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won't. Some mothers love so their daughters won't.
You Are Free by Danzy Senna (Riverhead Books, $15)
Humor
Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times!'s "amusement cycling" is the most fun you can have, legally, in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half of that within a day's drive of most cities?
Happy: And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle (Ecco, $14.99)If the readers want to know about the life of Salinger, they should buy the book published by ________.
| A．Ecco | B．Atria Books |
| C．Riverhead Books | D．Random House |
The book Happy: And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for ________.
| A．young children | B．Disney World workers |
| C．middle school teachers | D．parents with young children |
Which book describes women with characters of their own?
A. Happy And Other Bad Thoughts
B. J. D. Salinger: A Life
C. You Are Free
D. Red WolfFrom the book You Are Free we can know that mothers ______.
| A．teach her daughter read and write |
| B．be a model for their daughters |
| C．are born to give |
| D．suffer a lot |
After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that ________.
| A．the boy helped arrest the murderer |
| B．Benny died of an accident |
| C．the murderer got away with the crime |
| D．Annika carried out the crime |
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental attention are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old friend's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. It happens to most of us, but is it unavoidable?
Scientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way as our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can improve our basic cognitive(认知) functions.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness. Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts from Stanford University. Lumosity is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills. That's because they have combined these exercises with a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.
Apparently it works. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program. The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness(警觉) and awareness, high mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.What is the purpose of Lumosity?
| A．To exercise the brain and muscles. |
| B．To combine exercises with a web-based program. |
| C．To improve basic cognitive functions. |
| D．To improve students’ scores on test. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Memory losing is unavoidable. |
| B．Lumosity is unreasonable. |
| C．Muscles don’t need exercise. |
| D．Brains need exercise. |
What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Lumosity is an effective program. |
| B．Users have improved their thinking. |
| C．A company made a Lumosity trial. |
| D．Lumosity was carried out in tests. |
The author explains the training results by________
| A．making a comparison. |
| B．presenting training findings. |
| C．analyzing facts. |
| D．setting down rules. |
Four most Extreme Travel Destinations in the World
Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth: Oymyakon, Russia
As the coldest inhabited place on earth, the small Russian town of Oymyakon was once only used as a location for political prisoners. Winter temperature average at about -58 degrees F, the ground is frozen all year long. Popular sports include skiing, ice hockey and ice fishing.
Closest Place to Outer Space: Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador
Mount Chimborazo stands at over 20,000 feet high. Standing on it will put you closest to outer space that man can ever reach on foot. Its peak is completely covered by glaciers, but this mountain has several routes for climbers.
Hottest Place on Earth: Lut Desert, Iran
Here, temperatures reach as high as 158 degrees F. Though tourists visit this desert land, it’s a destination only for those willing to take on the challenge of surviving the heat and the dry climates.
Most Isolated Place on Earth: Tristan da Cunha, United Kingdom
Looking for a getaway from the everyday? This is about as far away from it as you can get. The island is home to fewer than 300 inhabitants and has no airport, Tristan da Cunha is accessible only by sea.Oymyakon was once used as a location for political prisoners probably because it ________.
| A．is isolated and cold |
| B．was covered by glaciers |
| C．is hot and deserted |
| D．is a getaway for people |
How can we get to Tristan da Cunha?
| A．By air. |
| B．By car. |
| C．By ship. |
| D．By train. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A science fiction. |
| B．A tourist guide book. |
| C．A sports magazine. |
| D．An economic handbook. |
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event, and a highlight of the evening is the President’s comedy routine. This year, President Obama decided to make a good-natured hit at Michelle’s expense. You might remember the “bangs”(刘海) that the First Lady introduced to the world several months ago! Oh yes he did! Obama bangs joke shows how, with professional helps, presidents are now just as funny as the comedian hosts.
For his second term, President Obama will be making big changes! He kicked off his White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, Apr. 27 by joking, “Second term, baby!” “I recognize that this job can take an attack on you. I understand that second term you need a burst of new energy and try some new things,” Obama, 51, said. “My team and I talked about it and we’re willing to try anything, so we borrowed one of Michelle’s tricks.” He then presented a slideshow of funny photoshopped images of himself sporting his wife’s famous new bangs, a photo of himself and the first lady side by side, both with bangs. “I think this looked pretty good.”
After Obama’s speech, Conan O’Brien took the stage and kept the jokes coming. The late night host made a joke about the President’s focus on job creation. “Since he was reelected,” he said, “ the number of popes(教皇) has doubled and the number of Tonight Show hosts had three times.”President Obama made a good-natured hit at Michelle’s expense to ________.
| A．laugh at Michelle |
| B．show his humor |
| C．remember the “bangs” |
| D．make big changes |
What is the closest meaning of the phrase “kicked off” in the second paragraph ________.
| A．enjoyed |
| B．expressed |
| C．started |
| D．cancelled |
One of Michelle’s tricks that Obama borrowed is her ________.
| A．bangs |
| B．slideshow |
| C．photoshopped images |
| D．speech |
We may learn from the last paragraph that ________
| A．President wants to be as funny as a comedian hosts. |
| B．the first lady made bangs jokes with professional help. |
| C．Michelle is sure to be angry with president. |
| D．President will focus on job creation in his second term. |