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 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
| A．They are hardworking and courageous. |
| B．They are stubborn and bold. |
| C．They are creative and persistent. |
| D．They are curious and modest. |
In the third paragraph, the underlined phrase ''wild vision" refers to______.
| A．the tragic accident | B．the building of the bridge |
| C．the brain damage | D．the discussion and persuasion |
What can we learn about Washington's wife?
| A．She could understand Washington and helped him a lot. |
| B．She couldn't understand him but took good care of him. |
| C．She didn't like Washington's idea about building the bridge. |
| D．She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge. |
From the passage, we know that_______ when Roebling proposed building the bridge.
| A．people all over America supported him |
| B．almost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
| C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
| D．many people considered it would be a great feat |
The passage suggests that______.
| A．NO pains, no gains. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. | D．Passion creates wonder. |
Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blankets by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Like our body, our memory needs regular exercise to be in good condition. Like the sportsman who must train to allow the body to respond to difficult times, the memory needs its own special training in order to stay in “shape” and improve.
There are many factors that can cause poor memory like insomnia (失眠), depression and alcohol. However, there are simple ways which you can follow to keep your memory in shape and actually help you to improve your memory’s condition and performance.
Never stop learning. Look for topics that interest you and really get involved in learning new information about them. Reading and attending lectures or programs are sources of continuous education of your brain with beneficial results to your memory.
Develop your social and family relationships. The more social you are, the better it is for your brain. Studies have shown that the brain and heart have a lot to gain from good family and social relationships.
Exercise your mind with games. The more you use your brain, the more you help your memory stay in shape. There are many games that can make you an intelligent person as well as entertain you such as chess, puzzles and board games.
Exercise physically can improve your memory. This type of exercise improves the circulatory （血液循环的） system. Even the simple but regular daily exercise such as fast walking can improve the heart and oxygenation（供氧） of the brain. The benefits of exercise affect positively many body systems, as well as our memory and other cognitive（认知的） capabilities.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. What we eat every day affects the performance and long-term condition of our memory. Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of antioxidants（抗氧化剂） and vitamins that can help and benefit the nervous system.
So our memory is like a sportsman. The more we practice our brains and memory, the better their performance will be.
Title: How to improve memory
Topic |
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Ways to improve memory |
Never stop learning |
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| Develop social and family relationships |
Good family and social relationships are beneficial to your brain and contribute to |
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| Exercise mind with games |
Play chess, puzzles or board games, which is of great benefit to your intelligence and also offers you |
|
| Take |
Physical exercise improves the |
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| Eat more fruit and vegetables. |
Fruit and vegetables are |
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| If we practice brains and memory more, they will |
You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs, then it’s likely you will burn out, or feel upset .When you take and take without giving anything back ,you never feel fulfilled, so you are always searching for ways to fill the void in your life.
The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving is to know and then live by your values .I break values up into two groups which I call being and having values. Your being values are the character traits of the ideal person you would like to be. I suggest to my clients that they choose three being values that they are willing to make a commitment to live by. An example of some being values are: kind, loving, generous, inspirational, peaceful, wise and even powerful. By acting on these values you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by being a positive role model. Mastering being these character traits becomes your life purpose.
Your having values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship, achievement, support, being valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life.
When you make a commitment to live by your being values, it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary ones. If your usual pattern is to talk about your problems, you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk, meditate, or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry, you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words, you would act like the person you choose to be—this is the key to personal power.
When you choose to act on your values, you not only feel good about yourself, you reinforce your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world, and in turn the way other people think of you.The main purpose of this passage is to___________.
| A．persuade the readers to make a commitment |
| B．inform the readers how to be truly happy |
| C．explain to the readers what personal values are |
| D．instruct the readers how to make wise choices |
According to the text, living by your being values ,you would___________.
| A．gain a lot of power | B．fill your own needs |
| C．seek all human virtues | D．form positive personality |
The underlined word “void” in Paragraph 1 means___________.
| A．a feeling of emptiness | B．an absence of one’s mind |
| C．a break of continuity | D．a state of confusion |
Which of the following does not belong to “your having values”?
| A．your success in the competition | B．the help from your friends |
| C．your own peaceful mind | D．the friendship |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Having values are better than being values. |
| B．The way other people think of you decides who you are. |
| C．A calm person does not choose to complain. |
| D．A responsible person does not care about financial security. |
One of my China Dialogue colleagues in Beijing recently bought a Philips energy-saving light bulb to replace a standard one．He was happy with his choice．It may have cost 30 yuan （just under US$4．50） - ten times the price of a filament （灯丝） bulb - but he wanted to save energy as part of his low-carbon lifestyle．And according to the shopkeeper, he would save, in the long run, much more than the 30 yuan he was spending．
Yet only one month later, his expensive light bulb blew up, before he had saved even a small part of the purchase price．Will he stick to his high-cost, low-carbon lifestyle?
China's environmental organizations have started to advocate low-carbon lifestyles and the decrease of carbon footprints to help fight against climate change．But they have overlooked one fact: in China, low-carbon living comes at a high cost．It means buying energy-saving bulbs and appliances, and environmentally friendly building materials and daily goods．Cost can no longer be the only standard for purchases．An energy-saving and environmentally friendly product is more expensive than a standard alternative - whether it's a simple light bulb or the house it shines．For average consumers, even buying an ordinary bulb is a huge burden．How can we persuade ordinary people to choose an energy-saving residence? This is not a trend they can afford to follow; perhaps this fashion is only for the rich．
Most consumers today do not cause huge carbon dioxide （CO2） emissions．Their responsibility lies not in choosing a low-carbon lifestyle today, but in avoiding a high-carbon life in the future．The principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - a basis of sustainable development - can be applied here as well．
In China, low-carbon living still is resisted by a lack of social infrastructure（基础设施）. Even if your salary allows you to make that choice, nobody is there to help you accomplish it．
Consider energy-saving homes. You need to find out whether or not the developer has used natural materials wherever possible; how effective the insulation（绝缘物、隔热物） is; and what the green credentials of installed equipment are．You can read up a little, but you'll still be lucky to avoid being puzzled by the developers' marketing．Many so-called energy-saving buildings are nothing of the sort, and some are even more energy-hungry than the average home - as Li Taige warned in his article "Energy-efficient buildings? Not always", on China Dialogue last August．What may probably be the best title of this passage?
| A．To purchase a cheap bulb - your wise alternative． |
| B．To choose an energy-saving residence - a must of your life |
| C．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - each citizen's responsibility |
| D．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - a promising but difficult purpose |
Why does the writer say this fashion is only for the rich in the fourth paragraph?
| A．Because the cost is a very important standard for purchases. |
| B．Because buying an ordinary bulb is very expensive. |
| C．Because energy-saving products are more expensive than the common alternatives. |
| D．Because rich people like to follow this trend. |
What does the writer think of energy-saving homes?
| A．Most of them are environmentally friendly. |
| B．They are musts of low-carbon lifestyle of Chinese. |
| C．They are huge burdens for Chinese people. |
| D．Many of them are more in name than in reality. |
We can infer from the passage that ____．
| A．Using energy-saving bulbs and appliances is a fashion． |
| B．It's easy for most Chinese to try to learn a low-carbon lifestyle． |
| C．All citizens in China don’t have the same responsibility in living a low-carbon lifestyle． |
| D．Most Chinese families cannot afford to purchase an energy-saving residence. |
What is the writer's attitude towards the low-carbon lifestyle?
| A．informative and entertaining | B．supportive but cautious |
| C．negative but wise | D．positive and active |
Chinese and Nigerian media should pay more attention to their own growing roles and strive to present a reliable image of China to African audiences and vice versa(反之亦然). Agreement on this important step in ongoing cooperation between the two sides was reached by media representatives attending a media forum on September 19 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The agreement comes in the wake of increasing attention being paid by the international community on Africa's deepening relationship with China. "This presents an important opportunity for media in China, Nigeria and other African countries. We should seize the moment to expand cooperation between Chinese and Nigeria media, increase our say, and contribute to cooperation between China, Nigeria and Africa as a whole," said Li Wufeng, Vice Minister of the State Council Information Office at the China-Nigeria Media meeting.
The media meeting was jointly held by the State Council Information Office, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, and the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria. It formed part of the "Experience China" program, which aims to increase cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and other parts of the world.
In the past, due to poor communication facilities, China and African countries could only learn about each other through third parties, in particular Western media, which may have given rise to and perpetuated misunderstandings.
"China is still not a constant feature or subject on the front page and prime time in the news media in Nigeria unless there are disasters and alleged human rights abuses to be reported," said Martins Oloja, Editor of The Guardian.
Major Western media continue to promote a Cold War mentality and view Sino-African ties through the lens of geopolitics, framing everything as competition between East and West, Chinese and Nigerian media professionals said at the forum. Some Western media outlets accuse China of ignoring mutually beneficial solutions or sustainable development of African people, while robbing the continent of its natural resources.
"Nigerians cannot expect Aljazeera or BBC to report on Africa, and indeed Nigeria and China relations, the way we want," said Oloja.
Mutually objective coverage will generate more cooperation and better understanding between China and Nigeria, said Li Xiaohua, a representative from China. org.cn, a leading multi-language website in China.What is the purpose of this media forum on September 19 in Abuja?
| A．More international community should pay attention to Africa’s deepening relationship with China. |
| B．People should seize the moment to expand cooperation between China and African countries. |
| C．Chinese and Nigerian media should pay more attention to their own growing roles and strive to present a reliable image to each other. |
| D．Let more Chinese people know about the culture of Africa. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 4?
| A．defeated | B．continued | C．disappeared | D．decreased |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The State Council Information Office and "Experience China" program attended this China-Nigeria Media meeting. |
| B．In the past, China and African countries could learn about each other very well. |
| C．Chinese people and Chinese events has been well reported through African media. |
| D．Nowadays, some African media still cannot give the true stories of China. |
What is the attitude of the major western media towards the Sino-African relationship?
| A．They think highly of it. |
| B．They report it as it is. |
| C．They view it through the angle of geopolitics. |
| D．They view it as a competition between two countries. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Having a bigger say |
| B．A Media Forum between China and Nigeria |
| C．Helping the African Media |
| D．Improving our report in Africa |