Nowroz: Iranian New Year or Nowroz is celebrated on the first day of spring sometime in March. Nowroz ceremonies are symbolic representations of good and evil. People sing, dance and parade as in a carnival through the streets with drums and trumpets to spread the news of the coming new year.
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year is called “Rosh Hashanah”, and is celebrated in the month of September. It is a holy time when people think of the things they have done wrong in the past, and promise to do better in the future. Special prayers are held, and an instrument called a Shofar is played. Children are given new clothes, and New Year loaves are baked and fruits are consumed to remind people of harvest time.
Shogatsu: In Japan, the New Year (Shogatsu) celebrations are from January 1 to January 3 and most Japanese don’t work during these days. In Japan, years are traditionally seen as completely separate from each other, and the New Year is a fresh start. This means that in December all duties should be completed. Parties are held to forget the worries and troubles of the old year. Homes and cars are decorated. On New Year’s Eve, most people spend their time with their families.
Bahai New Year: The Bahai people have their own calendar consisting of nineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between the eighteenth and nineteenth months. They have, however, adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox (春分). The day begins at sunset rather than midnight, and the New Year celebrations are held on the evening of March 20th.During the Jewish New Year, .
| A．people don’t mention things they have done wrong |
| B．children often wear new clothes |
| C．loaves and fruits are often forbidden to be served |
| D．Shofar is their favourite food |
Which of the following festivals are celebrated in the same month?
| A．Nowroz and Shogatsu. | B．Rosh Hashanah and Shogatsu. |
| C．Nowroz and Rosh Hashanah. | D．Nowroz and the Bahai New Year. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Japanese families often stay together to celebrate Shogatsu. |
| B．The Bahai people usually hold a carnival to celebrate the New Year. |
| C．The Jewish harvest fruits to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. |
| D．The Iranians often hold family parties to celebrate Nowroz. |
When we talked about the upcoming start of school, Seth hadn`t expressed anything but excitement. So when the sunny and promising “big day” arrived, he was ready. He was armed with a cool haircut, wearing his prized shoes, and was ready for the action.
Ten minutes before the bus was to arrive, he asked me to take him in my car. I complained about it being at the last minute. I said “no” at first. He begged me again and I finally agreed.
In the car , I secretly had a look at him through the rearivew mirror(后视镜). He looked sad. “What is the matter, honey?” “I am nervous. I don`t know if I will be able to learn everything in the first grade. What if I can`t pay attention in class?”
My heart melted. I remembered being nervous on the first day of school and I thought I was the only student who felt that way. I was a nervous kid full of self-doubt. Seth behaved much better than I did.
We walked into his school together. He remembered where his new classroom was and recognized his teacher from the ice cream social party they had the day before. He sat down at his desk and chatted with a few of his classmates. He took a few photos of them (with a camera phone because I didn`t allow him to bring the real camera) and then he said in a very serious manner, “Mom, you can go home now. I`ll be OK.” And so he was.Seth asked his mother to take him to school probably because_________.
| A．he was afraid to be late for class. |
| B．he wanted to share his joy with his mother |
| C．he felt worried about his school life |
| D．he was frightened of his new teacher |
What did the writer mean by saying “My heart melted” in Paragraph 4?
| A．She was very angry with her son |
| B．She felt sad because of her son`s words. |
| C．She was too weak in the mind to face it. |
| D．She became more understanding of her son. |
From the last paragraph we learn that_________.
| A．Seth had never seen his new classroom |
| B．the ice cream social party was to be held soon |
| C．Seth got along well with his classmates |
| D．Seth took some photos using a real camera |
It can be inferred that in the end Seth felt_________.
| A． relaxed | B．frightened |
| C．serious | D．worried |
Without most people realizing it, there has been revolution in office work over the last ten years. Before that time, large computers were only used by large rich companies that could afford the investment. With the advancement of technology, small computers have come onto the market which are capable of doing the work which used to be done by much larger and expensive computers, so now most smaller companies can use them.
The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processor system, or WPS as they are often called. 40% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast.
There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as retyping letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager's point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours.
But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units (显示器). The unease of a slow loss of sight among people using word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in England bother to buy them.
Whatever the arguments for and against word processors, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice.Ten years ago, large computers were only used by large companies because _________.
| A．small companies did not have enough money to buy such expensive computers |
| B．large computers could not do the work that small companies can do today |
| C．large computers did not come onto the market |
| D．small companies did not need to use this new technology |
According to the writer, the main progress made in office work over the last ten years is ________.
| A．the saving of time and money |
| B．the use of computers in big companies |
| C．the wide use of word processors |
| D．the decreasing number of secretaries |
We can infer from the passage that with the use of word processors, _________.
| A．some secretaries will lose their jobs |
| B．all jobs can be done automatically outside office hours |
| C．medical problems related to work with a VDU must have increased |
| D．the British companies will make less money |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are both advantages and disadvantages in using a word processor. |
| B．The British companies care much for the health of the people using word processors. |
| C．The technology in the field of computers has been greatly advanced over the last ten years. |
| D．Using word processors, secretaries can get more time to do more interesting work for their bosses. |
A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That’s the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed at least an ounce of salt-water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000 deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish. At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish.
During the next two decades, 78 of the men died from heart disease. The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese or Eskimos. This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol（胆固醇）levels.In which section of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．Ads | B．Movies |
| C．Briefs | D．Health and Diet |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．the high incidence of heart disease in some countries |
| B．the changes in people’s diet |
| C．the effect of fish eating on people’s health |
| D．the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures |
The phrase “this relationship” in paragraph 6 refers to the connection between ____ and the level of heart disease.
| A．the amount of fish eaten | B．regular fish-eating |
| C．the kind of fish eaten | D．people of different areas |
From the passage we know the author is most probably ___________.
| A．a heart doctor | B．a science researcher |
| C．a supporter of healthy eating | D．a university student |
Last week I was riding my special motorbike and then stopped at a convenience store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the convenience store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” I told her about some of the other things I do (ski, travel the world by myself, etc.). As her father was taking her off my bike, she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things, and I will too.” Her father turned away as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek. He hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” I believed what he said. Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
| A．He was happy because his daughter could gain excitement. |
| B．He felt surprised because he didn’t know the author. |
| C．He was moved because the author offered to help his daughter. |
| D．He felt nervous because he was worried about his daughter’s safety. |
What can we know about the author?
| A．He was a disabled man. |
| B．He worked in a convenience store. |
| C．He often helped people who were in trouble. |
| D．He usually drove too fast. |
According to the passage, the girl ____________.
| A．used to be a completely healthy person |
| B．was not allowed to do some fierce sports |
| C．usually felt sad about life due to her disability |
| D．was unwilling to communicate with a stranger |
What did the author’s gift refer to according to the girl’s father?
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. |
| C．The blessing. | D．The ride. |
Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine.
New Holland Island
$400 million, 18 acres
Roman Abramovich
Investment Banker
Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years.
Musha Cay Island
$150 million, 700 acres
David Copperfield
Famous magician
World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort (度假胜地) with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night!
Mago Island
$10 million, 5,400 acres
Mel Gibson
Actor
Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty.
Mosquito Island
$15 million, 120 acres
Richard Branson
Investor
This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity (生物多样性) of this island.
James Island
$19 million, 780 acres
Craig McCaw
Cell phone pioneer
Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus.
Allan Island
$13.5 million, 292 acres
Paul Allen
Investor
The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker’s small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody?The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) ____________.
| A．investment banker | B．famous magician |
| C．actor | D．investor |
How many acres does the cheapest island of the six cover?
| A．120. | B．700. |
| C．780. | D．5,400. |
Who will be potential visitors to the James Island?
| A．Those who like adventures and treasure hunts. |
| B．Those who like rich cultural atmosphere. |
| C．Those who long to live in a luxurious apartment. |
| D．Those who agree with the environmentalists’ ideas. |
If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _____________.
| A．the Mago Island | B．the Mosquito Island |
| C．the Allan Island | D．the James Island |