Spring is just around the corner and it’s a time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Here is a selection of festivals around the country that are a great excuse to get back in the spring sunshine.
ales to this part of the Pacific Ocean. Festivities include whale-watching, an arts festival and educational hands-on activities for the entire family. Prices start at $ 29 per adult and $ 19 for children. For more information, visit www.dpfestivalofwhales.com. | A．$77 | B．$ 58 | C．$ 38 | D．$ 48 |
The underlined word “jockeys” in the second ad is closest in meaning to .
| A．judges | B．riders | C．children | D．travelers |
If you want to learn about the history of American colonial period, you can visit .
| A．Tulip Time | B．Houses and Gardens |
| C．Dana Point of the whales | D．Chandler Ostrich |
It can be concluded that .
A. All the festivals are held in March.
B. All the Festivals are concerned with animals
C. All the Festivals are held in the U.S.A.
D. All the Festivals surely interest children.
Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, continues to show off ideas for the future.
The Q80 Inspiration here in Paris is an excellent piece of work, perhaps a concept elegant enough to make us forget that Infiniti’s former Hong Kong-based president, Johan de Nysschen, moved to take over General Motors’ Cadillac car brand in July and Infiniti chairman Andy Palmer is the new CEO at Aston Martin, the British luxury car brand.
The Q80, if it becomes reality, will be brought to market by Infiniti’s new boss, former BMW （another famous car brand ）executive Roland Krüger. He should focus on this, at least until he is head-hunted to another company.
The Q80 Inspiration is a low and sexy four-door fastback, and it is also a showcase for technology – from autonomous driving to eco-friendly power trains. Here in Paris, the Infiniti people say the hybrid drive in this concept suggest exactly where the brand is going in the future.
The company says the Q80 speaks to how Infiniti plans to pull people into more expensive cars – cars that compete with the Porsche Panamera, for instance.
Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, said the car “delivers feminine elegance and muscular menace in equal measure and strikes big in terms of styling, craftsmanship, choice of materials and attention to detail.”
Most importantly, for luxury cars buyers who are increasingly puzzled by all the technology, the designers focused on making things simple.
“There is a tendency with modern design that every time you add interior features and technology you add complexity,” said Albaisa, pointing to the concept’s easy-to –understand –and –operate infotainment interface.
As for power, the Q80 Inspiration gets 550 horsepower from a twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 combined with a hybrid electric power train. Fuel economy could be as good as 5.5 litres/100 km.Who will take charge of the launch of the Q80 Inspiration?
| A．Andy Palmer | B．Alfonso Albaisa |
| C．Johan de Nysschen | D．Roland Krüger |
In the future Infiniti will pay more attention to ______.
| A．details | B．craftsmanship |
| C．energy conservation | D．materials |
The Q80 Inspiration _______.
| A．has been produced in large numbers |
| B．has autonomous driving system |
| C．has double doors |
| D．has complicated operating features |
How many car brands are mentioned in the passage?
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．An introduction of the Q80 Inspiration. |
| B．A promotion of The Q80 Inspiration |
| C．The future of the Q80 Inspiration |
| D．The history of the Q80 Inspiration |
【改编】The island of Great Britain being small (compare the size of Australia), the natural place for holiday relaxation and enjoyment is extensive coastline, above all its southern and eastern coasts, and the favorite resort of the mass-population of industrial Lancashire, is on the north-west coast. Distant and little-inhabited area like Northern Scotland, are too remote for the development of large seaside resorts.
For most children, going to the seaside suggests a week or fortnight of freedom on the beach, ideally a sandy one providing enough opportunities for the construction of sandcastle, fishing in pool, paddling in shallow water or swimming in deep water. Their parents spend sunny days swimming in the sea and sunbathing on the beach. Not that the British sun can be relied on and the depressing sight of families wandering round the town in old –fashioned and under umbrellas is only too common. However, there are always shops with their tourist souvenirs, plenty of cafes and if the worst comes to the worst, the cinema to offer a refuge.
The average family is unlikely to seek accommodation in a hotel as they can stay more cheaply in a boarding-house. There are usually three or four-storeyed Victorian buildings, whose owners spend the summer season letting rooms to a number of couples or families and providing three cooked meals a day at what they describe as a reasonable price, with the hope that in this way they will add enough to their savings to see the winter through. Otherwise there are the camping sites for those who prefer self-catering.
Nowadays, even when an increasing number of people fly off to Mediterranean resorts where a well-developed suntan (晒黑) can be assured, or explore in comfort Swiss lakes and mountains or romantic Italian or Spanish cities, the British seaside is still the main attraction for families, especially those with younger children. As they queue for boats trips, cups of tea or ice-cream under gray skies and in dizzling rain, the parents are reliving (重温) their own childhood when time seemed endless, their own sandcastles the most splendid on the beach, the sea always blue and friendly and the sun always hot.Where do tourists seldom go ?
| A．Australia | B．Great Britain |
| C．Northern Scotland | D．Lancashire |
Why do children prefer the seaside ?
| A．Because they can stay with their parents. |
| B．Because they can play various games on the seaside. |
| C．Because they can meet many other children there. |
| D．Because they can buy whatever they want. |
What attracts people to Mediterranean resorts?
| A．Romantic Italian or Spanish cities |
| B．Ice-cream under gray skies. |
| C．Cups of tea in dizzling rain. |
| D．Reliving their own childhood. |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．The cinema is the best place to get enough sunshine. |
| B．The English seaside is an ideal place for children. |
| C．Northern Scotland is very popular with tourists. |
| D．Few people in Britain go abroad for holiday. |
Where can you find this passage in a newspaper ?
| A．Economy | B．Science. |
| C．Fashion. | D．Tourism. |
【改编】Ceaseless technology. A punishing workweek. That to –do list that keeps multiplying. It is no wonder many of us find it difficult to have a sufficient amount of sleep. But will sleeping more on the weekend make up for hours of lost snoozing (小睡)? One sleep expert, W. Christopher Winter raised the question.
Sleeping binge
Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night is generally recommended, but many people don’t. As the week rolls from Monday to Friday, they accumulate a sleep debt. Spending a few extra hours in bed on a Saturday morning, people assume, will help them “ catch up” on lost sleep. They’re likely right, “ Nobody knows how long the horizon is, probably a few nights, but studies show that recovery sleep in the short term does work,” says Dr. Winter, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep banking
Recent data suggests that banking sleep in advance of a long night can actually offset (补偿) upcoming sleep deprivation. If you knew you were going to have to stay up all night on a particular day, for example, you could sleep for 10 hours a day for multiple days before the event, and be fine, Dr. Winter says. Just plan ahead.
Routine naps
A scheduled nap is healthier than catching up on or banking sleep. “ Because sleep extension can make you feel groggy (昏昏沉沉), I always recommend a short nap (if a person feels they need it ), at the same time, every day,” says Dr. Winter. He adds that 25 minutes is ideal. “ When you schedule a short nap, your body anticipates it and slows down, without falling into a deep dream sleep,” he says. That refreshing, scheduled break is better than an occasional weekend lie-in. “ The body likes routine,” he says, “ When it’s prepared, it works more efficiently.”What is the topic of this passage?
| A．The bad effect of lacking sleep. |
| B．Advantages of enough sleep. |
| C．Some knowledge about sleep. |
| D．The ways to get sound sleep. |
Why do people accumulate a sleep debt during the week?
| A．Because they have a tight weekday. |
| B．Because they watch TV late into night. |
| C．Because they have to look after children. |
| D．Because they want to catch up on lost sleep on weekend. |
Which is the recommended way to keep healthy ?
| A．Banking sleeping. | B．Catching up on lost sleep. |
| C．An occasional weekend lie-in. | D．Scheduled naps. |
what is the meaning of the underlined word “deprivation”.
| A．Increase. | B．Loss. | C．Time. | D．Problem. |
Which is right according to the passage?
| A．Most people always get 8-hour-sleep each night. |
| B．Recovery sleep can make a difference. |
| C．Everyone should have a short nap. |
| D．A nap won’t work as expected. |
Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental math.
Before World War I we spent out summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的)memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys, Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into various investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle. Because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some may light honor, with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, a keen eye ,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack, A scientist can be made a naturalist. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be
| A．full of ambition | B．self-disciplined |
| C．full of enthusiasm | D．knowledgeable |
The first paragraph tells us that the author
| A．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| B．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| C．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| D．was born to a naturalist’s family |
The author says that his a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he
| A．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries |
| B．lacks some of the qualities required of scientist |
| C．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic |
| D．comes up with solutions in most natural ways. |
The author can’t remember his clearly because
| A．He didn’t live very long with them |
| B．He was too young when he lived with them |
| C．The family was extremely large |
| D．He was fully occupied with observing nature |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The author believes that a born naturalist cannot be a scientist |
| B．The author read a lot of books about the natural world and oil industry |
| C．The author’s brothers and sisters were good at music and languages |
| D．The author spent a lot of time working on riddles. |
【改编】Electrical devices could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking. British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee. As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this, the device helps with the slowing down movement of the leg. The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起搏器). It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy. But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version. An improved version shou1d be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries. Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania. He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from wa1king.
The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag. But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.From the passage we can know the electrical devices _____.
| A．are environmentally-friendly |
| B．need to be charged |
| C．produce electricity to make people walk faster |
| D．are invented by German scientists. |
Which of the following statement is wrong?
| A．The device is beneficial to human. |
| B．The device can even be used in robots. |
| C．An improved version of the device has been made. |
| D．The device is expected to be used in developing countries. |
In which aspect the electrical device should be improved?
| A．Its cost should be lowered. |
| B．The electricity it produces should be used in daily life. |
| C．Its weight should be lightened. |
| D．Its inconvenience should be avoided . |
Compared with the knee device, the bag invented by Larry Rome _____.
| A．is more expensive. | B．is much heavier. |
| C．is less effective. | D．is much cheaper. |
In which part of the newspaper can you find this passage?
| A．Recreation and Entertainment |
| B．Occupation and Employment. |
| C．Medicine and Health. |
| D．Science and Technology. |