The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame（驯养的）rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
| A．is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
| B．used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
| C．has never really existed in the world |
| D．is the king of all kinds of birds |
The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
| A．the phoenix used to do so | B．they may get rid of the mites |
| C．they want to burn their feather | D．they can heat themselves |
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
| A．The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
| B．The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
| C．The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
| D．The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．living forever | B．offering warmth |
| C．coming back to life | D．staying healthy |
What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
| A．Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
| B．If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
| C．Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
| D．If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
I told my friend Graham that I often cycle two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route．He replied,“You mean fortunately．”He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided．
My attitude to the hill has now changed．I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following．This hill will exercise my heart and lungs．It will help me to lose weight and get fit．It will mean that I live longer．This hill is my friend．Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I call get the same value for free．I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill．
Problems are there to be faced and overcome．We cannot achieve anything with an easy life．Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree．Her activism and writing proved inspirational．She wrote，“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet．Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened，vision cleared，ambition inspired and success achieved.”
One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity(逆境)．From time to time we all face hardships，problems．accidents、afflictions and difficulties．Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own．While we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it．
Douglas Bader was 21 when in 193l he had both legs cut off following a flying accident．He was deter-mined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans．He was an inspiration to others during the war．He said,“Don't listen to any-one who tells you that you can’t do this or that．That's nonsense．Make up your mind，you'll never use crutches(拐杖)or a stick，then have a go at everything．Go to school，join in all the games you can．Go anywhere you want to．But never，never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”
The biographies（传记）of great people are full of examples of how they took steps to overcome the difficulties they faced．The common thread is that they did not become depressed．They chose their attitude．They chose to be positive．They took on the challenge．They won．
Nevertheless．there is still the problem of how you change your attitude towards adversity．
1. Which of the following is true according to the author of the passage?
A．Climbing hills on bicycles is the best way to take exercise．
B．People are silly to pay to go to the gym．
C．Those who want to achieve success can't expect to live all easy lire．
D．People's attitude towards adversity is the only factor that determines whether they will succeed．
2．By quoting what Douglas Bader said，the author intends to tell us“___________．”
A．Failure is the mother of Success．
B．A fall into the pit，a gain in your wit．
C．If you venture nothing，you will have nothing．
D．Nothing is difficult to the man who will try．
3．Following this passage，the author will further talk about___________．
A．how his friend helped him to change his attitude towards the adversity he faced
B．what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face
C．what great people have in common
D．why it is important to keep optimistic in face of adversity
4．Which of the following can best function as the title of the passage?
A．Face adversity with a smile B．Different attitudes towards adversity
C．Nothing is impossible D．Life is full of adversity
Australians have been warned they face a life or death decision over their water—drink recycled sewage(污水)or die．
With the drought(干旱)continuing，the country is set to be forced to use purified(净化的)waste water for drinking．even though there is great opposition to the measure．
Queensland has become the first state to introduce tile policy after a warning from its premier．
“I think in the end，because of the drought，all of Australia is going to end up drinking recycled purified water．”said Peter Beattie．
“These are difficult decisions，but you either drink water or you die．There’s no choice．It’s liquid gold．It’s a matter of life and death．”
Beanie said Australia's second largest state would become the first to use recycled water for drinking．
Water is recycled in Britain and pans of northern Europe along with the US and Israel．
But Australians have never liked the idea．
To try to change the way Australians think，Prime Minister．John Howard and Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull have adhered to Queensland’s move．
“I am very strongly for recycling and Mr．Beattie is right and I agree with him completely．”Howard said．
“Australian cities．all now facing water shortages because of the worst drought on record．must start to use recycled water．”added Turnbull．“All of our big cities have to widen tile range of water sources to include sources which are not dependent on rainfall．”
1．According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE?
A．Nobody disagrees to the idea of drinking recycled purified water
B．Australia’s second largest state has become tile first state to introduce the policy
C．No other countries but Australia decide to drink recycled water
D．The drought is tile worst one in tile droughts recorded in Australian history．
2．What call we learn from the last paragraph?
A．Australians have never like drinking purified waste water
B．Australians should develop more water sources to live through the hard time
C．Australians can’t depend upon rainwater，which is not suitable for drinking．
D．Australian government has no ability to solve the problem of water shortage
3．The underlined phrase“adhered to”in Paragraph 9 probably means
A．disliked B．gone against C．supported D．doubted
4．It can be inferred from what Premier Peter Beattie said that
A．he gives orders to drink purified waste water
B．It is painful for him to see his people drink recycled sewage
C．If the decision is made，people won’t survive the drought
D．It’s up to you to either make a life or death decision
FAT TIRE
BIKE TOURS
(FORMERLY MIKE’S TOURS—PARIS)
DAY BIKE TOUR
(Reservations（预订）not needed for this tour to visit Paris—you will love this tour!)
Whether you’re new or experienced, our goal is not to provide you with mind-bending dates and boring stories. Instead, we offer you the famous sites, all the education information, lots of unique and fascinating stories, fantastic photo options, a comfortable bike and excellent personal service from your guide. In fact, we want you to love Paris like we do and have a great time doing it!（4 hours）
€22 students, €24 adult (Day & Night combo €44 student, €48 adult)
| March1—May 14 |
11 am |
| May 15—July 31* |
11am and 3pm |
| August 1—November 30 |
11am |
*no tours July 25
NIGHT BIKE TOUR
（Reservations not needed for this tour to visit Paris—you will love this tour!）
Our Night Tour is the way to experience the “City of Light” at its best!
Ride through the Latin Quarter and witness the best nightlife in town. Pedal down the lle de la Cite, along the river and enjoy ice cream at Berthillon (Paris’s most famous ice cream shop). See the Louvre as never before (free concert often included) and relax onboard a boat trip on the Seine. Did we mention free wine is provided on the boat?
Make on mistake—this tour is 100% different form our Day Tour in both route and information. Over 65% of our customers take both tours and we hope you will too. Also, be sure to eat something before coming or the wine may give you an unexpected hit! (4.5 hours)
€26 students, €28 adult (Day & Night combo; €44 student, €48 adult)
| March1—May 31 |
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday 7pm |
| April 1—October 31* |
Everyday 7pm |
| November 1—November 15 |
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday 7pm |
*no tours June 21 & July 14
OUR HEADQUARTERS
0156581054/ www. FatTire Bike Tours Paris. Com/ info@Fat Tire Bike Tours Paris. Com?
1. According to the schedule, which day might be appropriate for a Day & Night Combo?
A. A Saturday in November. B. Any day in June.
C. A Friday in March. D. A Monday in May.
2. If a teacher and his five students plan to visit Paris during daytime, they must pay_________.
A. €268 B. €158 C. €134 D. €142
3. One may taste the best ice cream and enjoy free wine in___________.
A. the Day Bike Tour B. the Night Bike Tour
C. the Tour on the Seine D. the Tour to the Louver
4. The following statements are true EXCEPT___________.
A. For further information, one can call 0156581054.
B. One can attend free concert on the boat trip on the Seine.
C. The route of the Day Bike Tour is totally different from that of the Night Bike Tour.
D. No reservations are needed for attending both the Bike Tours.
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每题2分，第二节每题2分，共50分）
第一节阅读每段短文，从题后所给的A、B、C、D中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Smoking is habit that’s closely linked to certain times and places. If you break these links, you can break the habit. The best way of doing this is to avoid the situations where you want a cigarette. If you can’t avoid them, then you will have to fight off the temptation（诱惑）. Sit down and think about when and where you usually have a cigarette. For example, do you always have one after breakfast? After other meals? In breaks at work? When you are watching television? With friends in the pub? Once you stop smoking, these times and places are going to be the danger spots. So work out how you are going to deal with them.
It will also help if you can make new habits to break the old one of smoking. So plan some new activities to replace smoking-things to draw away your attention, things to do with your hands, and different ways to deal with tensions.
Some people find it helps if they cut down on cigarettes before they actually give up. It’s one way of preparing for the day you stop for good. But don’t look on cutting down as an alternative to giving up, and don’t do it for more than a couple of weeks at the very most. The danger is that you go back to smoking more than you did before
1. What is the best way to stop smoking?
A. Avoid situations where you feel like a cigarette.
B. Avoid working with smokers in the same place.
C. Sit down and think about the situations where you moke.
D. Do not bring cigarettes with you when you take a rest.
2. The underlined part “The danger spots” are _______________.
A. the beginning and ending of a period when you stop smoking
B. the time period when you relax yourself
C. the times and places which link to smoking habit
D. the time when you start smoking
3. Which of the following activities can be used to stop smoking?
A. Something you are able to do in your spare time.
B. Something that might improve your skills.
C. Something you do not like to do when you are free.
D. Something that might interest you in your spare time.
4. One of the ways to stop smoking is to .
A. give up smoking together with a group of friends
B. reduce gradually the number of cigarettes you have every day
C. increase the time that you spend on other hobbies
D. take drugs to prevent you from feeling like smoking
Disposing (处理) of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities, the waste disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.
During the eighteenth century, it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. People would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories, mills, and
other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.
Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps(垃圾场), which are now called landfills, are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose. A long distance dump has been a common practice, but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere, cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is nonexistent. Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers, ground water, land and air is a price people
can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste, however, continues to grow.
Recycling efforts have become commonplace, and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city’s reusable waste.
1. The most suitable title for this passage would be ______.
A. Places for Disposing of Waste B. Waste Pollution Dangers
C. Ways of Getting Rid of Waste D. Waste Disposal Problem
2. During the 18th century, people disposed of waste in many ways except for ______.
A. burying it B. recycling it C. burning it D. throwing it into rivers
3. What can be inferred from the third paragraph?
A. Farm areas will continue accepting waste from the city in modern society.
B. There is cheap land to bury waste in modern society.
C. It is difficult to find space to bury waste in modern society.
D. Ways to deal with waste in modern society stay the same.
4. The main purpose of writing this article is to ______.
A. dra
w
people’s attention to waste management
B. warn people of the pollution dangers we are facing
C. call on people to take part in recycling programs
D. tell people a better way to get rid of the waste