Looking back on my childhood, I believe that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and my sisters soon gave up their flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do maths well.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I remember clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of the dogs, farm animals, local birds, and above all, insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love for the natural world and my passion has led me into varied explorations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something brings these observations together in my mind. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books.
But curiosity, a keen （敏锐的）eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.The first paragraph tells us the writer .
| A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| B．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| D．was born into a naturalist’s family |
The writer can’t clearly remember his relatives probably because .
| A．he didn’t live very long with them |
| B．the family was very large |
| C．he was too young when he lived with them |
| D．he devoted himself to observing nature |
It can be inferred from the passage that the writer was .
| A．a scientist as well as a naturalist |
| B．not a naturalist but a scientist |
| C．only a born naturalist |
| D．first of all a scientist |
According to the writer, a born naturalist should first of all be .
| A．good at maths | B．full of passion |
| C．knowledgeable | D．self-controlled |
A villa (别墅) designed to resist earthquakes with “self-healing” cracks in its walls, thanks to nanotechnology (纳米技术) applications with self-healing polymers (聚合物), is to be built on a Greek mountainside. The villa’s walls will include special particles that turn into a liquid when squeezed (压榨) under pressure, flow into cracks, and then harden to form a solid material.
The NanoManufacturing Institute (NMI), based in Leeds University, will play a key role in an EU project to construct the home by December 2010. The project, called “Intelligent Safe and Secure Buildings” (ISSB) is funded under the EU’s Sixth Framework program. This potentially life-saving scheme is led by German building manufacturer Knauf. The villa will be built in Amphilochia, in western Greece, where Knauf currently runs a manufacturing plant. If the experiment is successful, more tremor-resistant（防震）homes could be built in earthquake zones across the globe. NMI chief executive Professor Terry Wilkins said, “What we’re trying to achieve here is very exciting. We’re looking to use polymers in much tougher situations than ever before on a larger scale.” Monitors contained in the villa’s walls will be able to collect vast amounts of data about the building over time. Wireless sensors(传感器) will record any stresses and vibrations, as well as temperature, humidity and gas levels.
The walls are to be built from new load-bearing steel frames and high-strength gypsum（石膏）board. Prof Wilkins said, “If there are any problems, the intelligent sensor network will be able to alert residents immediately so they have time to escape. If whole groups of houses are so constructed, we could use a larger network of sensors to get even more information. If the house falls down, we have got hand-held devices that can be used over the ruins to pick out where the embedded（嵌入的）sensors are hidden to get some information about how the villa collapsed. Also, we can get information about anyone who may be around, so it potentially becomes a tool for rescue.” The aim of the passage is to ________.
| A．report a piece of interesting news |
| B．promote tremor-resistant homes |
| C．inform us of the nanotechnology development |
| D．tell us something about a tremor-resistant home |
The villa can resist earthquakes because _______.
| A．it will be built on a special place |
| B．the cracks in its walls can be healed by the polymers |
| C．the special particles can make its walls stronger |
| D．the intelligent sensor network can tell people where there is a crack |
If the tremor-resistant home falls down, _______.
| A．rescue work can be done more quickly and accurately |
| B．the intelligent sensor network will stop working |
| C．no one can be hurt in the earthquake |
| D．a warning signal will be given to other residents |
What Prof Wilkins said suggests that _______.
| A．he is doubtful about the project |
| B．he thinks the tremor-resistant home is perfectly designed |
| C．he is confident in the tremor-resistant home |
| D．the tremor-resistant home still needs to be tested in a real situation |
It can be inferred from the passage that tremor-resistant home _______.
| A．is still being tried out |
| B．is already under construction |
| C．has been in wide use |
| D．will be put into wide use soon |
Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead. But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that — dreams.
The Shanghai MunicipalEmployment Promotion Center poll of 1,276 graduates in several universities and colleges in the city, released last Friday, showed 59.78 percent of respondents considered the possibility of setting up a company or at least a small store. "But they just stop at the 'thinking' stage," it stated.
Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity. They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, the need for advanced study and objections from family members as factors that stood in their way.
More than 90 percent of the interviewees said they would rather take up a job after graduating and then consider starting their own business two or three years down the road.
Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai International Studies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his own boss last year. But he is looking for a job first. "If I fail to find a satisfying job, I would like to establish a company in exhibition services," Guo said.
The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant. With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition brochures at a relatively low price. He is also confident that his English language skills can help him do well in the industry.
"Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said.
Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason driving more university students to set up a business right after their graduation.
Jiang said the university sets up a business guide team made of government officials and professionals. They regularly give training courses to students who show an interest in having their own business. The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed" Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added.Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．A Tough Job Market |
| B．Graduates Who Can Only Dream of Being Boss |
| C．The Ambitious Fresh Graduates |
| D．The Story of Guo Bing |
Which of the following does NOT stop fresh graduates realizing their dreams of being bosses?
| A．The lack of business opportunity and investment. |
| B．The shortage of business experience. |
| C．Less skilled English language. |
| D．Their family members’ objections. |
In the view of Guo Bing, what is the key factor that makes fresh graduates dream of being boss soon after
graduation?
| A．Their family don’t support them. |
| B．Their social networking is not good. |
| C．There are not enough graduate jobs. |
| D．They want to achieve greater success. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Guo Bing?
| A．He has started his own business with the help of his relatives. |
| B．English is his major in the university. |
| C．He is trying to find a job which can satisfies him. |
| D．He is a Shanghai native. |
Who is this article mostly intended for?
| A．The parents whose child graduates from university soon. |
| B．Those who will graduate from university. |
| C．Those who want to be bosses. |
| D．The officials who work in the government. |
Brazil is a federation that consists of twenty-six states and one federal district. The biggest majority of Brazil’s population belongs to the Christian religion and almost all of them are Catholics. This is something Brazil inherited(继承) being Portugal’s colony(殖民地).
Historically, the country was a colony claimed by people from Portugal and this made Portuguese the official language. The Portuguese reached Brazil in 1500 and until that moment it was inhabited by semi-nomadic(半游牧的) people. The Portuguese changed Brazil into a country of slaves until 1800, when Maria I of Portugal came to live in Brazil. The Queen did not stay long in Brazil, but during the 20 years of royal presence a lot of changes occurred: commercial ports to United Kingdom were opened; Brazil stopped being isolated(孤立) from other countries. So at the moment of getting the independence on the 7th of September, 1822, Brazil already had the potential to develop. The Brazilian Empire, Pedro I, abolished slavery in 1888 in the face of Princess Isabel. A lot of European people started coming to Brazil and the industry of the country started working. In the 19th and the 20th century as it has been said above foreign people immigrated(移民) to Brazil and basically 5 million European and Japanese people became the residents of Brazil. The beginning of the 20th century was especially marked by the immigration of a lot of Asian people: Japanese, Korean and Chinese immigrants. As a matter of fact Japanese people do not immigrate a lot, and the fact that the Brazilian-Japanese people are the largest Japanese minority in the world does astonish greatly.
The majority of the cultural inherits of Brazil are actually Portuguese, due to the fact that Brazil was Portugal’s colony for a very long time. The southern states mainly consist of European population and the north and the northeast consist of a mixed population including Africans, Amerindians and Europeans. Most of this population is Roman Catholic. No other country in the world has the same amount of Catholics. The modern tendency of Brazil is the growing number of people calling themselves Protestants. Around 7.4% of the population don’t believe any god. Some Brazilians, especially in the northern states are mixed Africans who prefer following the traditional African religions. Only 1.8% of the population chose Buddhism, Islam or Judaism.
Though Brazil always tried to maintain democracy, it was failed several times by the dictatorship（独裁） of Getulo Vargas. This fact could not affect the political situation in the country.Brazil was ruled by Portuguese about ______.
| A．22 years | B．300 years | C．322 years | D．328 years |
Who might block the development of Brazil?
| A．Maria I | B．Pedro I | C．immigrants | D．Getulo Vargas |
The writer mainly tells us the ______ of Brazil in the passage.
| A．religion | B．history | C．culture | D．political situation |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Brazil was isolated from other countries when Maria I stayed there. |
| B．The industry of the country started working in 1888. |
| C．Brazil has the largest population of Catholics in the world. |
| D．Some people in Brazil don’t believe any god. |
It can be inferred that Brazil is a country with ________.
| A．western culture | B．modern culture |
| C．traditional culture | D．mixed culture |
Toyota Motor Corp, Japan’s biggest carmaker, said on Friday it will recall 1,489 Lexus sedans (高级轿车) sold in China. "It will take us some time to ship the fuel tanks and vent pipes to China to change those in these Lexus sedans for customers free of charge, if problems are found," said Yang Hongjian, a spokes- woman of Toyota’s China representative office.
The expected recall will affect Lexus LS430 sedans made in Japan from July 29, 2003 to January 14, 2004, the representative office said in a statement. Toyota has not received complaints from Chinese customers, according to the statement. The move will be part of Toyota’s global recall of 18,200 Lexus LS430s. It will be the third car recall in China in two weeks. Although automobile recall is a common practice in developed markets, it remains new to Chinese customers. The Chinese government published long-awaited automobile recall rules on March 15, which will be officially carried out at the beginning of October.
China’s auto market is forecast to reach 10 million units by 2010. Automakers, especially Chinese producers, will face greater pressure from automobile recalls, which could be very costly sometimes, and should be in full preparations, according to the expert. The Japanese carmaker sold 1, 549 Lexus vehicles on the Chinese mainland during the first five months of this year, according to Yang. Lexus sales on the mainland reached 4,000 units last year, up from 1,600 units in 2002. (China Daily July 3, 2004)What can we learn from the text?
| A．Chinese customers are not satisfied with Toyota Lexus LS430 sedans. |
| B．Chinese car market has seen car recalls three times so far. |
| C．Toyota will have a worldwide recall of Lexus LS430 sedans. |
| D．Toyota Motor start to recall Lexus Sedans due to the problems with fuel tanks. |
The carmakers were unwilling to recall their cars in the past mainly because ______.
| A．they were not fully prepared |
| B．they couldn’t afford the cost for their car recalls |
| C．their products could not meet the required standard |
| D．there were no related rules and little pressure |
It is implied in the passage that ______.
| A．sales of homemade automobiles will grow even faster |
| B．automobile recalls will take place in China more frequently |
| C．China’s car market is forecast to be the biggest by 2010 in the world |
| D．Toyota is likely to sell the most Lexus Sedans in China in the future |
Which of the following is the best tide of this passage?
| A．Toyota to Recall Its Lexus Sedans Sold in China |
| B．China Prepares to Recall Cars |
| C．The Problems in China’s Car Market |
| D．Costly Japanese Car Recalls |
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. however, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
| A．they have their houses there |
| B．they settle there now |
| C．they want to make their home there |
| D．they like that land very much |
“Side-by-side” living style means _______.
| A．to make friends with native people |
| B．to keep their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| C．the groups of people who live nearby |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
according to the passage, people in the USA ________.
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．live in a kind of “side-by-side” society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side-by-side” living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People. |
| D．“Side-by-side” Living Style in America. |