Commonwealth Games gold winner Liam Killeen is one of England’s most successful Mountain Biking stars. Liam recently came third in the opening round of the World Cup Series.
Do you come from a sporty family?
NO, but my family have encouraged me and supported me from the beginning of my career.
Were there any sports you didn’t like playing at school?
I didn’t do much swimming or cricket. My school focused more on rugby and athletics including cross-country running which I really enjoyed.
How does it feel to represent England?
Good, and it’s a responsibility as well as an honor, whether representing England, as in the Commonwealth Games, or Great Britain as I did in the Athens Olympics (2004). I am proud to represent a nation that is generally well regarded by others.
Which other sports stars do you like?
Everyone who has made it to world class competition level has earned respect. I particularly admire Paula Radcliffe and Lance Armstrong.
What are your hopes for the future?
To have this season continue as successfully as it has started and make the podium in the World Cup in Fort William in May, and at the Mountain Bike World Championship on 27th August this year in New Zealand. In the longer term, to win a medal at the Olympics in Britain and to see more people racing and enjoying mountain biking.The passage is taken from .
A.an interview between a reporter and Liam Killeen |
B.a daily talk between Liam Killeen and his father |
C.a book written by Liam Killeen |
D.a speech made by Liam Killeen |
Liam Killeen won a gold medal in the .
A.World Championships | B.World Cup |
C.Commonwealth Games | D.Olympic Games |
.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Liam’s family enjoy sports very much. |
B.Liam loves swimming and mountain biking |
C.Liam took part in the Olympic Games in 2004 |
D.Liam’s father also enjoys mountain biking very much |
From the passage we can infer that .
A.Liam Killeen will win a gold medal in the Olympics in 2012 |
B.Lance Armstrong is a world-class sports player |
C.Liam Killeen has earned a lot of money |
D.Liam has won many gold medals in world competitions |
Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined for breaking the family planning policy,a senior official has warned.
As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child,Zhang Feng,family planning department director of Guangdong Province,stressed that this violated China's policies.“And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts.”he said.
“ It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions, they have violated the country’s policies and the province’s regulations”.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second child in Hong Kong, but gave no details.
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial ( 有争议的 ) notice claiming residents’ medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain fight of abode ( 居住) there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government,about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010,but more than 41,000 or 47 percent,were to mainland couples,including a large number from Guangdong.
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34,000 this year.
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment(修正)to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent fight of abode.
“I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.”Zhang said.
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation,although the rules have been relaxed in recent years.Which of the following is true?
A.Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined. |
B.Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts. |
C.Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province. |
D.It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland. |
What does the word “violated” mean in the second paragraph?
A.went against | B.was obeyed | C.was for | D.was dismissed |
Zhang Feng said that .
A.few families had been punished after having a second child in China |
B.about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010 |
C.the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected |
D.he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong |
From the passage we can infer .
A.in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples |
B.the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced |
C.babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now |
D.the family planning policy in China is as strict as before |
A blind baby is doubly handicapped. Not only is it unable to see, but because it cannot receive the visual stimulus(刺激)from its environment that a sighted child does, it is likely to be slow in intellectual development. Now the ten-month old son of Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Daughters is the subject of an unusual psychological experiment designed to prevent a lag(滞后)in the learning process. With the aid of a sonar-type electronic that he wears on his head, infant(婴儿) Dennis is learning to identify the people and objects in the world around him by means of echoes(回声).
The device is an improvement of the “Sonicguide”, an instrument produced by Telesensory Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif, and used by blind adults in addition to a smart or guide dog. As adapted for Dennis, it consists of a battery-powered system about the size of a half dollar that is on a headgear. A transmitter sends out an ultrasonic(超声的) pulse that creates an 80 degree cone of sound at 6 feet. Echoes from objects within the cone are perceived (felt) as sounds that vary in pitch(音调) and volume(音量) with the size and distance of the object.
The closer an object is, the lower the pitch, and the larger the object, the louder the signal. Hard surfaces produce a sharp ping, while soft ones send back signals with a slightly fuzzy quality. An object slightly to the right of Denny’s sends back a louder sound to his right ear than to the left. Thus , by simply moving his head right and left and up and down, he can not only locate an object but also get some notion of its shape and size, thanks to the varying qualities of sounds reaching his ears as the cone of ultrasound(超声波) passes its edges. Dennis likes to use the device to play a kind of peek-a-boo with his mother. Standing on her knee and facing her directly, he receives a strong signal in both ears. By turning his head away, he makes her seem to disappear. “From the first time he wore it,” says Mrs. Daughters, “it was like a light going on in his head.”
What remains to be determined is how well the device will help Dennis cope with his surroundings as he begins to walk and venture further into his environment.
Meanwhile, Telesensory, Inc, is working on the development of sonar(声纳) device with somewhat the same sensitivity as Dennis’s for use by school-age children.Dr. and Mrs. Daughters’ research is directed to ________.
A.helping the blind to see and learn as well as others |
B.benefiting the learning process of blind children |
C.solving blind children’s psychological problems |
D.finding out how children develop intellectually |
Infant Dennis becomes the subject of the experiment most probably because ________.
A.he already lags behind the sighted children |
B.he leads a life as normal as any other children |
C.he is at the early stage of the learning process |
D.he has the aid of a sonar-type electronic device |
What can we learn about infant Dennis’ device?
A.Its first design was designed for blind adults. |
B.Its battery is as small as a half-dollar coin. |
C.It is functionally similar to a sane and guide dog. |
D.It has been improved by Telesensory Systems, Inc. |
In the third paragraph, “its edges” refers to ___________ .
A.the edge of an object |
B.the edge of the device |
C.the boundary of Dennis’ movement |
D.the boundary of the sound pitch. |
Even when you’re extremely busy, you aren’t using your time with 100% efficiency. There are gaps in everyone’s schedule where they aren’t doing anything important. Even if your schedule has no gaps, there is probably lots of time when you aren’t working as fast or as effectively as you possibly could.
Why aren’t you completely efficient? It’s because time isn’t the limiting factor. If it were the limiting factor, people could work non-stop without breaks or any unproductive distractions (消遣). Instead, people, even those who are highly productive, need to take breaks, occasionally procrastinate (拖延) and slow down on tasks throughout the day.
The real and most important limiting factor for productivity is your energy levels to pay attention. Energy levels limit your productivity because when you’re tired, you can have enough time and still not get everything done. Your attention ability is also limited, because even if there are a million things that need to be done, you can only focus on one or two at a time.
You might not be able to insert another 4-5 hours into your schedule without making some sacrifices(牺牲). But even extremely busy people can add an hour or two into their schedule without cancelling anything. The reason why it’s hard to “find time” isn’t a lack of time. It’s because you don’t have enough energy left to focus on something else that needs to fit into your day.
I first suspected time wasn’t the real problem during an extremely busy period in my life over a year ago. I was extremely busy, but at that time I still exercised regularly. I had daily to-do lists with over twenty items, and I still found time to exercise. However, after a few weeks off, because of illness, I stopped exercising. I was not busy by any standards, in fact, my schedule was very light. Despite this free time, I found it hard to find time to exercise. It seemed to get pushed later and later into my schedule until it was gone. How can I explain this strange experience? I believe you have known it. If someone can’t work with 100% efficiency, the most important limiting factor is ________.
A.a schedule without gaps |
B.breaks and distractions |
C.the limited time |
D.the limited energy |
According to Paragraph 4, everyone, including the extremely busy people, can ________.
A.work without any rest |
B.focus on many things at a time |
C.find some more time in a day |
D.do some exercise regularly |
The writer gives the example of himself in the last paragraph in order to ________.
A.prove what the real limiting factor is |
B.show us how busily he needs to work |
C.explain how important a healthy body is |
D.tell us what a strange experience he has |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Do You Really Lack Time? |
B.How Can You Work Efficiently? |
C.What Makes Your Energy Limited? |
D.When Should You Do Exercise? |
In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap (水龙头)water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill(重续).
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.Which statement is TRUE?
A.American people like sitting with people they don’t know. |
B.Hostess always seats a small group at a large table. |
C.American people never sit with people they don’t know. |
D.American people would not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking. |
What is served before you order?
A.Cold water. | B.Butter. | C.Coffee. | D. Bread. |
What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?
A.They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs. |
B.They leave the food on the table and go away. |
C.They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later. |
D.They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them. |
No one wants to be tested. We would all like to get a driver’s license without answering questionsabout rights of way or showing that we can parallel park a car. Many future lawyers and doctors probablywish they could join their profession without taking an exam.
But tests and standards are a necessary fact of life. They protect us from unskilled drivers, harmful products and dishonest professionals. In schools too exams play a. constructive role. They tell public officials whether new school programs are making a difference and where new investments are likely to pay off.
They tell teachers what their students have learned--and have not. They tell parents how their children aredoing compared with others their age. They encourage students to make more effort.
It is important to recall that for most of century, educators used intelligence tests to decide whichchildren should get a high-quality education. The point of IQ testing was to find out how much children werecapable of learning rather than to test what they had actually learned. Based on IQ scores, millions of children
were assigned todumbed-down programsinstead of solid courses in science, math, history, literature andforeign language.
This history reminds us that tests should be used to improve education. Every child should have accessto a high-quality education. Students should have full opportunity to learn what will be tested; otherwise theirscores will merely reflect whether they come from an educated family.
In the past few years, we have seen the enormous benefits that flow to disadvantaged students becauseof the information provided by state tests. Those who fall behind are now getting extra instruction inafter-school classes and summer programs. In their efforts to improve student performance, states are
increasing teachers salaries, testing new teachers and insisting on better teacher education.
Performance in education means the mastery of both knowledge and skills. This is why it is reasonable totest teachers to make sure they know their subject matter, as well as how to teach it to young children. Andthis is why it is reasonable to assess whether students are ready to advance to the next grade or graduate
from high school.According to the passage, school exams enable ______.
A.governments to make right policieshave made efforts |
B.students to meet their teachers' requirements |
C.teachers to understand if their students |
D.parents to compare their kids' behavior across schools |
"Dumbed - down programs" in Paragraph 3 refer to the programs which.
A.lead to high-quality education |
B.are less academically challenging |
C.are intended for intelligent students |
D.enable children to make steady progress |
Which of the following does the author probably agree with?
A.Disadvantaged students can benefit from state tests. |
B.Tests should focus on what students have actually learned. |
C.Intelligent tests decide if children should get a high - quality education. |
D.Intelligent tests are helpful in separating excellent students from poor ones. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To re-assess the value of IQ testing. |
B.To defend the role of testing in education. |
C.To explain what high-quality education means. |
D.To call for thorough and complete reform in education. |