From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age. We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.
Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel(方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. A.. their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.
It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievable lenient(宽容的) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws(where they exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stress power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars. .What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists. |
B.Thousands of people the world over are killed each year. |
C.The laws of some countries about driving are to lenient. |
D.Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents. |
. What does the author think of society toward motorists?
A.Society laughs at the motorists. | B.Huge car parks are build in the cities and towns. |
C.Victims of accidents are nothing. | D.Society forgives their rude driving |
.What does the author mean by saying “his car becomes the extension of his personality” in Paragraph 2?
A.Driving can show his hidden qualities | B.Driving can show the other part of his personality |
C.Driving can bring out his character | D.Driving can represent his manners |
. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
A.Perfect the road network | B.Stricter driving tests |
C.Test drivers every three years | D.Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications |
. The author’s attitude towards the traffic situation is ______.
A.confused | B.discontented | C.appealing | D.doubtful |
(一)It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. ____61____. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur(业余)and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. ____62____. The game originated(起源于)in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier.
The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States.______63_____. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
____64_____. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century . ______65______
A.A famous French humorist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. |
B.It is called soccer in the United States |
C.It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven |
D.In summer, cricket is the most popular sport |
E. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity
F. But it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.
G. Not everyone likes ball games
Pollution is reducing the fragrance(芬芳) of plants and thus preventing bees from pollinating(授粉) them—endangering one of the most essential cycles of nature, a new study suggests.
The potentially hugely significant research, funded by US National Science Foundation, has found that gases mainly formed from the emissions(排放) of cars prevent flowers from attracting bees and other insects to pollinate them. And the scientists who have conducted the study fear that insects’ abilities to drive away enemies and attract mates may also be disturbed.
Professor Jose Fuentes, who led the study, said, “Scent molecules(香味分子) produced by flowers in a less polluted environment could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters. But today they may travel only 200 to 300 meters. This makes it increasingly difficult for bees and other insects to locate the flowers.”
The researchers, who worked on the molecules of snapdragons(金鱼草),found that the molecules are volatile(易挥发的) and quickly bond with pollutants, mainly formed from vehicle(车辆)emissions. This chemically changes the molecules so that they no longer smell like flowers. A harmful cycle is therefore set up where insects struggle to get enough food and the plants do not get pollinated enough to multiply.
Already bees, which pollinate most of the world’s crops, are in such a great decline that has never been known before in Britain and across much of the globe. At least a quarter of America’s 2.5 million honey bee colonies have been mysteriously wiped out by colony collapse disorder(CCD),where hives are found suddenly deserted.
The crisis(危机) has now spread to Europe. Politicians insist that CCD has not yet been found in Britain, but considering the present number of bees, the agriculture minister Lord Rooker has sent the warning, “The honey bee population could be wiped out in 10 years.”
Although the researchers are not certain whether this is the real cause of CCD, they say that pollution is making life more difficult for bees and other insects in many ways. In what way does pollution prevent flowers from attracting bees?
A.By shortening the distance traveled by the scent molecules of flowers. |
B.By disturbing the bees’ ability to attract mates. |
C.By weakening the bees’ ability to fight against enemies. |
D.By stopping flowers from giving off fragrance. |
From the passage we can know that.
A.Europe is affected greatly by CCD |
B.CCD has destroyed most of the honey bee colonies in Europe |
C.no honey bees will be found all over the world in the near future |
D.European officials have paid much attention to CCD |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Traffic Pollution Puts Bees in Danger |
B.Traffic Pollution is to Blame for CCD |
C.Pollution Makes Flowers Lose Their Scent |
D.Pollution Causes the Decrease in Flowers |
Imagine landing in a foreign country where you cannot speak the language, understand the culture and don’t know anybody. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend who could help you out?
John Smith, an English explorer who landed in America in 1607, found the best friend ever. She was a Native American named Pocahontas (1595-1617). And she did more than teach Smith the language: she saved his life, twice.
Smith was captured(捕捉) by members of Pocahontas’s tribe(部落) and was going to be killed. But for some reason, the Chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, felt sorry for Smith (who was probably the first white man she had ever seen) and threw her body over his to protect him. Smith returned safely to the small village he was living in. During the winter the English settlers did not know how to get food from nature. Pocahontas often brought food for Smith and his friends.
A year later Pocahontas’s father tried to kill Smith again because the Native Americans were very scared the English would try to take over their land. Pocahontas warned him and he was able to escape. Later she became a Christian and eventually married an Englishman named John Rolfe. She spent the last year of her life in London. Pocahontas has become an American legend. Her life story has been re-created in many books and films, including Disney’s 1995 film, Pocahontas.
One of the reasons she is so popular is that many Europeans look at Pocahontas as an excellent example of how a minority can adjust into the majority. Pocahontas is also respected because of her selfless love. She proved that people can be kind and loving even to people of a different race or culture. John Smith was very different from Pocahontas but she could see he was a good man and that was all that mattered. No race or country owns goodness, love and loyalty. What difficulties might early European settlers meet in America EXCEPT ___________?
A.the fierce conflict with Native Americans |
B.lack of food in winter |
C.bad-tempered natives who enjoyed killing |
D.unfamiliarity with a foreign land |
Pocahontas saved John Smith twice because ___________.
A.she believed in general kindness even to people of a different race |
B.she wanted to become a Christian and marry an English |
C.he was the first white man she had ever seen in her life |
D.she was on the settlers’ side and against her cruel father |
Which is Not an element to make Pocahontas a legend?
A.Her tribal background and her marriage to a white settler. |
B.The recreation of her life story in the 1995 Disney film. |
C.Her complicated life story different from common people’s |
D.Her selfless help to people regarded as enemy of her tribe. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.People from different cultures can never really get along well with each other. |
B.The Europeans think the early settlers should have learned to adjust to the local cultures. |
C.The creation of America is based on the settlers’ victory over the Native Americans. |
D.The battles between early settlers and Native Americans resulted from their fighting for land. |
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing(评定) your skills and matching them with a particular position.If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay.There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job.Here are a few of those main areas;
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating(使孤立)jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy.Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer.There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others.If you need to be stable in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often.Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers?
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic.There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day.Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy?
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that.The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you.I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love.It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for it can change the course of your life for the better.What is unnecessary in your job hunting?
A.Assessing your skills |
B.Going to different areas |
C.Matching your skills with a position |
D.Taking your personality into consideration |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Isolating jobs usually drive people mad. |
B.Interactive jobs make people shy easily. |
C.Extreme people tend to work with others. |
D.Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs. |
The underlined word in the passage means ________.
A.not likely to move or change |
B.calm, reasonable and not easy to upset |
C.being in the same chemical state |
D.a group of people working for the same company |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.Lifestyles and Job Pay | B.Jobs and Environment |
C.Job Skills and Abilities | D.Personalities and Jobs |
In elementary school, Guadalupe Quintanilla was often referred to as a “slow learner” by her teachers. But she really wasn’t slow at all. She just didn’t understand the language used in the classroom. Her problem was that she didn’t speak English. So she left school after the fourth grade.
When Guadalupe grew up, married, and had children of her own, she knew that her children were clever. But some of their teachers didn’t think so. The children were having trouble in school because they didn’t speak English. Mrs Quintanilla was angry. She didn’t want people to think that her children were slow learners. So she decided to learn English herself as a way of helping them. She practiced English. She looked up words in the dictionary. She asked the school headmaster to let her sit in on classes. It wasn’t easy, but she passed all her exams. She said that many of the other students helped her.
Mrs Quintanilla has helped her children with their lessons. Her two sons have won success. One is a teacher, and the other is a doctor. Her youngest child, a daughter, is studying in a university. Guadalupe was called as low learner .
A.to make her study harder | B.because she wasn’t clever |
C.because she stayed at home | D.because she didn’t speak English |
According to the story, children who don’t speak English .
A.may have more trouble in school | B.have trouble playing football |
C.often write a diary | D.grow up to be teachers |
Which happened first?
A.Guadalupe passed all her exams. |
B.Guadalupe left school after the fourth grade. |
C.Guadalupe had three children. |
D.Her two sons won success. |
The story is mainly about .
A.learning to sing and dance | B.the problem of slow learning |
C.going to a university | D.Mrs Quintanilla’s success |