People in Shanghai can quench their thirst with high quality water if the Shanghai Water Authority (SWA) is able to make good on its word. It has vowed to make the city’s water match its status as a world class city.
“The current tap water quality meets national standards, but, compared with that of the European Union and the United States, it still needs to be improved.” said the SWA’s director general, Hang Jiayi.
In other developed countries, water fountains can be found almost everywhere—people do not bother with bottled drinking water.
By 2020, the water of the Huangpu River will be treated to reduce the amount of organic waste in it. Major water works that draw water from the Huangpu will need more treatment facilities to improve the colour, texture, ammonia(氨)and nitrogen content before 2010.
These treatment facilities are expected to cost 4 billion yuan, something that could affect the price of water, according to Chen Yin, SWA’s deputy director general.
Chen said that replacing water pipes was also a key project. The city’s aged pipes are mostly to blame for the bad water quality.
The SWA has started the water facilities renovation(更新)work, including the more than 14,000 kilometres of indoor piping, 107,000 tanks on top of the buildings, and more than 6,000 underground facilities.
World Water Day came on March 22, and this year’s theme is “Water for the future”. Beijing is also drawing up plans during China’s Water Week, which runs until March 28.
By 2010, the water for the Shanghai EXPO is to be above World Health Organization standards. And, the people of Beijing will be able to drink their tap water as well.People in Shanghai can drink their tap water_____.
| A．by 2020 | B．in the first half of this year | C．by 2010 | D．by 2008 |
What step need not be taken in order to improve the tap water?
| A．The water of the Huangpu River will be treated. | B．Aged water pipes will be treated. |
| C．Water facilities must be renovated. | D．Water fountains must be found. |
Which is the correct statement according to the passage?
| A．The tap water quality in Shanghai hasn’t met national standards. |
| B．World Water Day fell on March 22 this year. |
| C．The people of Beijing cannot drink their tap water now. |
| D．The treatment of the water of Huangpu River has been finished. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The cost of treating the tap water. |
| B．How to reach the water standards of developed countries. |
| C．The project for making tap water drinkable in Shanghai and Beijing. |
| D．The progress of treating the water of Huangpu River. |
In nature, you may see many insects and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why?
Locusts （蝗虫）are super delicious food for birds, but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them. It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies（敌人）. The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops （庄稼）. When crops are young, locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do.
Brown bears, tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can’t be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies （蝴蝶）and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to survive, they have to hide themselves in the daytime and appear only at night.
Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts（行为）? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over, its enemies will find themselves in a dark world. At the same time the ink fish immediately swims away. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all. According to the passage, most soil insects ______
| A．do not have bright colors |
| B．change their colors with the soil |
| C．do not live in a dark and wet environment. |
| D．eat colorful insects like butterflies and bees. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “survive” in the passage?
| A．繁殖 | B．产卵 | C．觅食 | D．生存 |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Some insects and animals have different skills. |
| B．Some insects and animals are cleverer than we think. |
| C．Some insects and animals use colors to protect themselves. |
| D．Some insects and animals can get used to the environment easily. |
Where did Li Hua see Mrs Daniels’ advertisement?
| A．At London University. | B．In a newspaper |
| C．On the Internet. | D．On TV. |
Why did Li Hua write the Email?
| A．To make friends with Mrs Daniels. |
| B．To apply to study at London University. |
| C．To get more information about Mrs Daniels’ lessons. |
| D．To find out more information about Aston College. |
Which of the following information did Li Hua NOT mention in his email?
| A．His age |
| B．His reasons for learning English |
| C．His language level |
| D．The language skills he wants to focus on. |
Li Hua wants to take the lessons to improve his ______.
| A．listening and writing | B．writing and speaking |
| C．listening and grammar | D．listening and speaking |
San Francisco has many museums. You can visit one and learn something new. We have art, science, history and other special museums. Some museums are open every day. Some are only open on certain days. Some museums are expensive, and others are free. But some of the expensive ones have free days. Many museums have websites. The websites usually have information about the things you can see in the museums.
On a museum’s website you can get information about ticket prices and free days. You can also know where the museum is and when it is open. Sometimes you have to click on the words like Visit, Information, or About to find the information. That will be hard work for you. San Francisco has many museums for you to visit and ______.
| A．learn something new | B．play computer games |
| C．watch the movies | D．click on Information |
Some museums in San Francisco are open every day, but some are only open ______.
| A．on weekdays | B．on weekends |
| C．on certain days | D．on holidays |
Many museums have ______ with information about the things you can see in them.
| A．ticket prices | B．their websites |
| C．open hours | D．free days |
Dear College Dean
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to enhance (improve) the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is the tradition of this school to promote education and to be at the vanguard of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Students are asked to create PowerPoint presentations and use spreadsheets and database programs, as well as to research many topics on the Internet. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning, giving students the opportunity to find information that without a computer would be much more difficult to find.
If there are more computers, students will also be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of lifeThe purpose of the author in writing the passage is .
| A．to describe the problems caused by lack of computers |
| B．to explain why students are in great need of computers |
| C．to tell us what benefits students can gain from computers |
| D．to persuade the Dean to purchase more advanced computers |
From the passage we can infer that .
| A．present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students |
| B．computers in the college will be updated to meet the student’s demands soon |
| C．the college has the responsibility to help the students to prepare for their future |
| D．it is also necessary to expand the college bookstore by using part of the donation |
In paragraph 4, the author mainly wants to tell us that .
| A．computers are beneficial to students’ academic success |
| B．computers are helpful to student’s competition for success |
| C．students find it convenient to do assignments by using computers |
| D．students wish to use the money to buy more advanced computers |
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
It is thought that crying is hardly an activity encouraged by society. Tear, whether they are of sorrow, anger, or joy, typically make Americans feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. The shedder of tears (落泪者) is likely to apologize, even when a great tragedy was the cause. The observer of tears is likely to do everything possible to put an end to the emotional tears. But judging from recent studies of crying behavior, both those responses to tears are often inappropriate and may even be counterproductive (适得其反).
Humans are the only animals clearly known to shed emotional tears. Since evolution has given rise to few purposeless physiological responses, it is logical to assume that crying has one or more functions that enhance (increase) survival.
Although some observers have suggested that crying is a way to ask for assistance form others (as a crying baby might from its mother), the shedding of tears is hardly necessary to get help. Vocal cries would have been quite enough, more likely than tears to gain attention. So, it appears, there must be something special about tears themselves.
Indeed, the new studies suggest that emotional tears may play a direct role in alleviating stress, University of Minnesota researchers who are studying the chemical composition of tears have recently isolated two important chemicals from emotional tears. Both chemicals are found only in tears that are shed in response to emotion. Tears shed because of exposure to cut onion would contain no such substance.
Other researchers are investigating the usefulness of tears as a means of diagnosing human ills and monitoring drugs. At Tulane University’s Teat Analysis Laboratory Dr. Peter Kastl and his colleagues report that they can use tears to detect drug abuse, to study the causes of “dry eye” syndrome（综合症）and the effects of eye surgery, and perhaps even to measure exposure to environmental pollutants. What does the phrase “both those responses” in Paragraph 1 refer to ?
| A．Crying out of sorrow and shedding tears for happiness. |
| B．The embarrassment and unpleasant sensation of the observers. |
| C．The tear shedder’s apology and the observer’s effort to stop the crying. |
| D．Linking illness with crying and finding the chemical composition of tears. |
From the passage we can infer that .
| A．it is unnatural for people to shed tears |
| B．we can reduce our stress by shedding tears |
| C．shedders of tears can’t get help by crying loudly |
| D．unlike animals, humans can shed tears for survival |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Roles of emotional tears. |
| B．functions of shedding tears. |
| C．Unwelcome shedders of tears. |
| D．Research on the effects of tears. |