For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “Ye O
lde Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of busi
ness. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.. The passage mainly tells us something about
| A．the past and present of British pubs | B．the decline of British pubs |
| C．the long history of British pubs | D．the importance of British pubs |
. Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?
| A．The credit crunch. | B．The present closing time. |
| C．The ban of smoking. | D．Having no spare money. |
.. We can infer from the passage that
| A．British people used to like drinking slowly |
| B．closing the pubs early will reduce social problems |
| C．binge drinking means drinking less beer |
| D．British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking |
. We can see from the last paragraph that the author ________
| A．is against the admission of too many women to the pubs |
| B．holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs |
| C．thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems |
| D．thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need |
"Indeed," George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785, "some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home." But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen hade been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lightning-bug(萤火虫). But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Although fan became the usual term, sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseball bugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bug-shaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, "to install (安装) an alarm". Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others' conversation. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant "to cheat", and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as "little problems and difficulties" that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison "had been up the two previous nights discovering 'a bug' in his invented record player."We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.
| A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug |
| B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug |
| C．the word bug was still popularly used in English in the nineteenth century |
| D．both Englishman and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century |
What does the word "flaw" in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Fault. | B．Finding. | C．Origin. | D．Explanation. |
The passage is mainly concerned with__________________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the word bug |
| B．the development of the word bug |
| C．the public views of the word bug |
| D．the special characteristics of the word bug |
Imagine going to sleep then waking up speaking another language. It may sound impossible， but it's actually happened.
The phenomenon(现象)of being able to suddenly speak another language is known as“Xenoglossia”， from the Greek words“xenos”(foreigner)and “glossa”(language)．
It once happened to a 13yearold girl from Croatia. After being unconscious(不省人事的)because of a disease for 24 hours in 2010，she woke up speaking fluent German. The girl， who came from the town of Knin in the south of Croatia，was studying German at school but she'd only started recently. Her parents said that she'd been reading German books and watching German TV at home， but that she wasn't fluent in the language.However ，since waking up， she's been able to communicate “perfectly”in German.What's really strange is that she's now unable to speak Croat，her mother language.Doctors at Split's KB Hospital have asked some experts to examine the girl as they try to find out what caused the change.Dr Mijo Milas said，“In earlier times this would have been considered as a miracle(奇迹)；we prefer to think that there must be an explanation—it's just that we haven't found it yet.”
In 2007，Matej Kus from Czech became unconscious after a motorbike accident. On waking up 45 minutes later，he could speak fluent English.Matej was only 18 years old at the time， and had just started studying the language and so was at a low level.Peter Waite，Kus's teammate said，“I couldn't believe what I was hearing.It was really clear English.It was unbelievable to hear him talk in unbroken English.”Unluckily，Matej's new language skills didn't last.Two days later， when he recovered fully from the accident， he'd completely forgotten his English.
We still don't know exactly what happened to the two people. Perhaps scientists will discover something new and exciting. But until then， keep studying!According to the passage，what is“Xenoglossia”？
| A．That someone becomes unconscious. |
| B．That someone speaks a new language in a sudden. |
| C．That someone doesn't like his mother language. |
| D．That someone is able to speak Greek suddenly. |
What does the underlined word “It” in Para.3 probably refer to?
| A．Having accidents. |
| B．Speaking fluent German. |
| C．The phenomenon of Xenoglossia. |
| D．Being unable to speak. |
We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the girl from Croatia ______.
| A．wanted to know what caused her change |
| B．believed she had a talent for language |
| C．didn't study German for a long time |
| D．didn't like learning German |
Which of the following is TURE according to the test?
| A．Matej Kus is now afraid of motorbike racing. |
| B．The girl from Croatia lost consciousness for several days. |
| C．The girl from Croatia was knocked unconscious in an accident. |
| D．Matej Kus could only speak a little English before the accident . |
Food prices have risen sharply over the past few years. The good news is that the rate of increase has slowed. The bad news is that prices will not go down anytime soon.
Also，the rate of global agricultural production is slowing. Yet it needs to increase 60% over the next 40 years to feed a growing world population.
These are among the findings from the OECDFAO(the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development & the Food and Agriculture Organization)Agricultural Outlook(展望)2012－2021.
FAO DirectorGeneral Jose Graziano da Silva spoke at a news conference in Rome when the report was released. Mr.Da Silva said that，not surprisingly，the world's poorest people will feel the greatest effects of higher prices.
“For the millions and millions of extremely poor people， the effects of high food prices are clear—they might have to change their diets，usually to ones with poorer nutrition quality， ”he said.
In middleincome countries， people are gaining weight as they eat fewer fruits and vegetables and more of the cheaper but less nutritious foods.
The report also shows that farmers in poorer countries will be leading efforts to feed an expected 9,000,000,000 people by 2050.The outlook predicts that farmers in Latin America，the Caribbean and subSaharan Africa will drive agricultural production in the future.
Angel Gurria，SecretaryGeneral of the OECD，said：“We can feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050 on this planet. But we have to organize ourselves better.” But there are plenty of challenges.Onefourth of all agricultural land is damaged. Many countries face water shortages(短缺)．And experts believe climate change is driving increasingly unusual weather patterns.
The report says farmers need to use more growing methods that can't cause damage to the environment.At the same time，it says governments should end economically harmful supports and spend more money to increase agricultural production.Mr.Gurria says rich and poor nations need to treat agriculture more like a business.
“In many cases，agriculture is related in people's minds to the poorest. It's related to aid. It's related to very poor living conditions，etc. We have got to shake that image away，”he said.Why are people gaining weight in countries with average incomes?
| A．They eat more food. | B．They eat less nutritious foods. |
| C．They eat cheaper fruits. | D．They eat cheaper vegetables. |
It can be inferred from the text that poorer countries ______.
| A．are damaging a great part of their agricultural land |
| B．will play a great role in feeding the growing world population |
| C．are spending lots of money increasing agricultural production |
| D．will not be so seriously affected by food prices as rich nations |
What can be done to deal with the slow agricultural production?
| A．Improving the growing methods. |
| B．Finding more agricultural land. |
| C．Preventing governments' involvement. |
| D．Improving farmers' living conditions. |
Which of the following might Angel Gurria agree with?
| A．Agriculture means difficulty and sadness. |
| B．Food prices will go down in the near future. |
| C．It's almost impossible to feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050. |
| D．Both rich and poor countries should take agriculture seriously. |
Cold weather has a great effect, on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word “cold”. For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blood people act in a merciless way. They may do brutal things to others, and not by accident. For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered someone, not in self-defense. He seemed to kill with no emotion.
Cold can affect other parts of the body, the feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet, if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression ---- to get cold feet--- that has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your shoulder. You “give someone the cold shoulder” when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant, cold way. The expression probably come from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face-to- face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you or to someone who has lied about you to others.
“A cold fish” is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and show no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.
“Out in the cold” is and expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise. He was left our in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be. The text is intended to tell us that ______.
| A．cold weather has a great effect on human bodies |
| B．“cold” is a word closely linked with human emotions |
| C．many English expressions contain the word “cold” |
| D．the word “cold” has many different meanings in English |
The underline word “brutal” in paragraph 1 most probably means ______.
| A．merciless | B．illegal | C．impolite | D．extreme |
Which phrase can best describe a person who is unwilling to offer anything to others?
| A．Cold-blooded. | B．To get cold shoulder. |
| C．A cold fish. | D．A cold shoulder. |
If the teacher gives all the boys except Tom a pen as a prize, you can say he ______.
| A．is given the cold shoulder | B．is punished by a cold fish |
| C．has got cold feet | D．is left out in the cold |
Most kinds of rose plants come from Asia. But roses are also native to other areas including northwest Africa, Europe and the United States. In 1986, Congress chose the rose as America’s national flower. Technically, Congress and President Ronald Reagan declared it the “national floral emblem.” Whatever the name, the decision did not smell sweet to supporters of others popular flowers.
Some people say roses are difficult to grow. But you have a good chance of success if you start with a few suggestions from experts. You should plant your roses where they can get sunshine for about six hours on bright days. You can buy roses form a garden center or by mail order. You can buy potted roses, also known as container roses, or bare-root plants. Each kind has its fans.
Some gardeners say potted roses are easier to plant. They say the roots develop better. But Jeffrey Dinslage, an expert, pint out that bare-root roses come without soil. So they weigh less to transport.
Another expert advises getting bare-foot roses as close to planting time as you can. If they arrive before you are ready to plant them, make sure the packing material is moist. Keep the plants in a cool, dark place. The resting plants have no leaves but still need water. When growing roses, the soil should feel moist deep down. Watering should be done in the morning.
But do not water too much. People often ask Jeffrey Dinslage about unhealthy discoloration on rose leaves. He says the spots are usually caused by too much water. After heavy rains or too much watering, he advises pulling away mulch, the substance used to protect the roots, temporarily from around the roots. This will help dry the soil. From the first paragraph, we know that in the United States _______.
| A．all the people like roses | B．there are a lot of national flowers |
| C．some roses don’t smell sweet | D．there are some other popular flowers |
Why does Jeffrey Dinslage suggest planting bare-root roses?
| A．They are easier to plant. | B．Their roots develop better. |
| C．They are cheap to transport | D．Their leaves need no water |
Which of following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “moist”?
| A．Slightly wet. | B．Pretty dry. | C．Too hard. | D．Lightly soft. |
According to Jeffrey Dinslage, people should ______ to avoid the spots on the rose leaves.
| A．not water roses in the morning | B．protect the roots of roses |
| C．improve the quality of the soil | D．not water roses very much |