When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we wear quite out off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital.
However, I soon discovered that one big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution.
I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it became of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever you tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child ?
| A．Staying on the farm. | B．Moving to the countryside. |
| C．Leaving home for the city. | D．Running away from the school. |
Which of the following is true about the writer?
| A．He is very old now. | B．He is in good health. |
| C．He prefers driving a car. | D．He lives in the city now. |
In the passage, the writer tries to __________.
| A．express his opinions about way of life |
| B．describe his life in the countryside |
| C．an interest in the outside world |
| D．persuade the reader to live in the city |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring. | B．By comparing. | C．By listing examples. | D．By discussing. |
Ed Jocelyn and Andy McEwen might have appeared to be a bit mad---the
two set off on their own “Long March” through the remotest regions of China on October 16. The idea was to take a year to retrace one of the epic movements of modern military history.
The two British men in their mid-30s were working as editors in Beijing when they decided to reexperience
the tales of the original marches. “We hold these people in such respect,” McEwen says.
They plan to keep diaries but will not share the contents during the trip. “When we get to the end we’ll put our heads together and try and come up with a book,” Jocelyn said.
Their trip has had some auspicious beginning, they have already met two Long March veterans(老战士) in less than a month of travel.
In this modern version, the pair are aided by high-tech equipment including a satellite phone, mini-computer, video camera and solar panels to recharge batteries. A mountain tent and portable stove will help them in the remoter stretches.
They plan to average 35-40 kilometers a day, and rest about every third day. Ed admitted that their trip would be very tough.
If they succeed, they will be the first foreigners to complete the entire Long March route since Otto Braun, the German military advisor who accompanied the Red Army on the Long March. This text is mainly about.
| A．high-tech equipment helpful to the Long March |
| B．first foreigners to walk the Long March |
| C．British recall of the Long March spirit |
| D．British editors’ adventure original in China |
The underlined word “auspicious” most probably means.
| A．friendly | B．favourable | C．strange | D．surprising |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about the two foreigners?
| A．They will use anything modern on the way. |
| B．They will do some cooking by themselves. |
C．They’re planning to have a book pu blished one year later. |
| D．They will send off news about what happens day by day. |
Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （点） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed th
e features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (细菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves. What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．How the caves were formed on Mars. |
| B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth |
| C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（迹象）of life. |
| D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars. |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．water has already been found on Mars |
| B．the scientists found all the caves at night |
| C．it is certain that there is life in these caves |
| D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry |
According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.
A．such caves could provide energy for life |
| B．they had finally found the caves on Mars |
| C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life |
| D．There would be life on Mars. |
Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.
| A．lava and energy | B．water and radiation from space |
| C．gases and lava | D．water and protection from radiation |
what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．the Mars | B．the earth | C．the caves | D．radiation |
Discover
A science magazine, designed for wonders of modern science, written for the educated general readers. Published by Disney Magazine Publishing Co., Discover tells many of the same stories professionals (专业人员) read in Scientific American. A truly delightful family science ma
gazine, each issue （每期） brings new topics to make dinner time and water-cooler conversations interesting.
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Issues:12 issues/12months
Self
Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook designed for women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab”, in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-modles and the “Eat Night Road Map”, with tips on how to eat properly.
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Instyle
Instyle is a guide to the lives and lifestyle of the world’s famous people. The magazine covers the choices people make about their homes, their clothes and their free time activities. With photos and articles, it opens the door to these people’s homes, families, parties and weddings, offering ideas about beauty, fitness and in general, lifestyles. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company.
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Wired
This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc. , Wired often carries articles on how technology changes people’s lives.
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Issues: 10 issues/12monthsWhich two magazines are published by the same publisher?
| A．Wired and Instyle | B． Discover and Instyle |
| C．Self and Discover | D．Self and Wired |
Which magazine offers the biggest price cut?
| A． Instyle | B．Wired | C．Discover | D．Self |
The “Style Lab” in Self provides readers with articles which _________.
| A．offer advice to ordinary women on clothes. |
| B．show how a woman can become famous |
| C．introduced places with the best food |
| D．discuss ways of training models |
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775, and died on July 18, 1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices (偏见) of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously (匿名 ).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath’s many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, basically keeping its streets and public buildings in the original shape, just like what she described in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen’s Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen’s time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizs (小测验) are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen’s Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped. Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________.
| A．in her early twenties | B．in her  early teens |
| C．in her late twenties | D．in her late teens |
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
| A．Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen’s death. |
B．The city has changed as much as J ane Austen knew it. |
| C．Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen’s time. |
| D．No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen’s time. |
The author writes this passage in order to________.
| A．attract readers to visit the city of Bath |
| B．ask readers to buy Austen’s books |
| C．tell readers about Jane Austen’s experience |
| D．give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society |
It takes you about one and a half hours________.
| A．to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street |
| B．to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts |
| C．to find a guide to take you to the Centre |
| D．to look around the city of Bath on foot |
Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly, The symptoms ( 症状) of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.
Certain microorganisms (微生物) cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release (释放) poisons that make people sick.
Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.
Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.
When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with ditty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be co
oked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash foo
d covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.
Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water.
If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Food poisoning means death |
| B．When poisoned, food can make people sick |
| C．Food poisoning comes in varieties |
| D．Food poisoning can be serious |
We know from the passage that the symptoms of food poisoning ______.
| A．only contain fever | B．are too common to be noticed |
| C．can be noticed within hours | D．can be ignored |
Food poisoning can be caused by all the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．some chemicals | B．low temperatures |
| C．some tiny living things | D．certain natural materials |
From Paragraph 5, we can learn that ____________.
| A．mushrooms should not be eaten |
| B．vegetables are safer than meat and seafood |
| C．natural poisons are more dangerous than chemicals |
| D．different types of food should be handled differently |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.
| A．natural materials are safe in food processing |
| B．chemicals are needed in food processing |
| C．food poisoning can be kept under control |
| D．food poisoning is out of control |