Dear sir,
I read your story (of the 4th February) about the cost of living in the country rather than in the town, and I agree with most of the points that you made. My husband and I lived in the middle of Horlton until two years ago — a seaside town of nearly five hundred thousand people. When my husband stopped working, we moved to our present house in a small village at the foot of Roland Hill, and there is no doubt that our costs are higher now.
I have to do my shopping in small shops, where the food is more expensive than in city supermarkets; it costs more to travel by bus; and because the men who come to mend the television or the washing
machine, have to come farther, we have to pay them more.
But it does not cost us much to enjoy what is beautiful in the country; and peace and quiet are cheap. Many people spend a great deal of time and money driving into the country to enjoy the simple things of life; yet we can enjoy them just by going out of the front door. It costs more to live here than it did in Horlton but now life really is worth living.
Yours faithfully.
Edith Randall What do you know about Horlton?
| A．A quiet town not far from the sea. |
| B．A middle-sized town until two years ago. |
| C．A town with a population of nearly half a million. |
| D．A small village at the foot of Roland Hill |
What Mrs Randall really wants to express in the letter is that _____.
| A．it cost less to live in the country |
| B．it costs more to live in the country |
| C．living in the country is no better than in the town |
| D．she is quite satisfied with the life in the country |
One can probably find this letter in _____.
| A．a guidebook | B．a newspaper | C．a speech | D．a story book |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The letter is written by an unknown person. |
| B．This letter is a reply to the questions of 4th February. |
| C．Living in the country is better than living in the city. |
D．The cost of li ving in the city is lower than that of the country. |
An old man was fishing by a river. A child was watching him. The old man was really good at fishing and it didn’t take him much time to catch a basket of fish. The old man saw that the child was cute, and he wanted to give her the whole basket of fish. But the child shook her head.
The old man was surprised and asked ,“Why don’t you want the fish?”
The child replied,“I want the fishing rod(竿) in your hands.” The old man asked, “Why do you want the rod?”
“It won’t take long to eat up all the fish in the basket. But if I have the fishing rod, I can go fishing by myself and I won’t be afraid of not having any fish to eat.” the girl answered.
I think you will certainly say that the child is very smart. Wrong! If she doesn’t know how to fish, she can’t have fish to eat, even though she has the fishing rod. It’s useless only having a fishing rod. Fishing skills are the most important, not the fishing rod.
Too many people think that if they have a “fishing rod”, they will no longer fear the difficulties in life. They are just like the child, who thought that if she had a fishing rod, she would have the fish to eat.What was the child doing when the old man was fishing?
| A．She was talking with him. |
| B．She was playing by the river. |
| C．She was watching the old man. |
| D．She was helping the old man. |
Where did the old man put the fish?
| A．In a basket. | B．In a bag. |
| C．In a glass. | D．In a box. |
Why did the child refuse to get the fish?
| A．Because she wanted to get the old man’s fishing rod. |
| B．Because the fish was not enough. |
| C．Because she didn’t like eating fish. |
| D．Because the fish was too small. |
The writer thinks the child is__________.
| A．hard-working | B．lazy |
| C．clever | D．silly |
The story mainly tells us_______.
| A．the “fishing rod” is harder to get than “fishing skills”. |
| B．if we have a “fishing rod”, we’ll have a lot of fish to eat. |
| C．if we have a “fishing rod”, we won’t have to fear anything |
| D．“fishing skills” are more important than the “fishing rod” in life. |
A new study found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living among more concrete and fewer trees. Such findings tell a powerful story. The obesity epidemic(肥胖症的流行)began in the 1980s, and many people think it results from increased portion（食物） sizes and inactivity , but that can't be everything. Big Macs and TVs have been with us for a long time. "Most experts agree that the changes were related to something in the environment," says Thomas Glass of the Hopkins School of Public Health. That something could be a shrinking of the green.
The new research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, isn't the first to associate greenery with better health, but it does get us closer to identifying what works and why. At its most straightforward, a green neighborhood simply means more places for kids to play — which is important since time spent outdoors is one of the strongest links to children's activity levels.
Glass warns that most studies don't necessarily prove a link between greenness and health, but they're helping spur action. In September the U.S. government approved the No Child Left Inside Act to encourage public initiatives (积极性)aimed at exposing kids to the outdoors.
Finding green space is, of course, not always easy, and you may have to work a bit to get your family a little grass and trees. If you live in a suburb or a city with good parks, take advantage of what's there. Your children in particular will love it — and their bodies will thank you.According to the passage, what might cause children’s inactivity?
| A．Less concrete and more trees |
| B．Increased portion sizes |
| C．A green neighborhood |
| D．A shrinking of the green |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is wrong?
| A．Big Macs and TVs have something to do with obesity. |
| B．If a 100-pound man lives in green space for 2 years, he will lose 13 pounds. |
| C．Kids should be exposed more to outdoors. |
| D．Kids gain less weight living in a suburb or a city with good parks. |
What does the underlined word “spur” in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．improve | B．take |
| C．encourage | D．stop |
What might be the best title of the passage?
| A．The obesity epidemic | B．Slimmer in the grass |
| C．Causes of obesity | D．Prevention of obesity |
When elephants retire, many head for the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. They arrive one by one, but they tend to live out their lives two-by-two. "Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most all of her time with," says sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley. It's likely having a best girlfriend, Buckley says - "Somebody they can relate to, they have something in common with."
Debbie has Ronnie. Misty can't live without Dulary. Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs. But perhaps the closest friends of all are Tarra and Bella. Tarra, an 8,700 pound Asian elephant; Bella, a stray dog, are closest friends.
Bella is one of more than a dozen stray dogs that have found a home at the sanctuary. Most want nothing to do with the elephants and vice versa. But not this odd couple. "Bella knows she's not an elephant. Tarra knows she's not a dog," Buckley adds. "But that's not a problem for them." "When it's time to eat they both eat together. They drink together. They sleep together. They play together," Buckley says.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years — but no one really knew how close they were until recently. A few months ago Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office. And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office. "She just stood outside the balcony - just stood there and waited," says Buckley. "She was concerned about her friend." Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.
"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but to bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.
They visited like that every day until Bella could walk. Today, their love — and trust — is stronger than ever. Bella even lets Tarra pet her tummy - with the bottom of her enormous foot. They harbor no fears, no secrets, no prejudices. Just two living creatures who somehow managed to look past their immense differences.
Take a good look at this couple, human beings. Take a good look at the world. If they can do it — what's our excuse?The underlined part “Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs.” in Para. 2 means ______.
| A．both of the pairs are elephants. |
| B．both of the pairs look strange. |
| C．animals there have different kinds of friends. |
| D．they are friends of the same kind. |
The last paragraph infers that _____________.
| A．different animals can become closest friends. |
| B．people should learn something from each other. |
| C．people all over the world should cooperate. |
| D．People all over the world should become the closest friends. |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Unlikely friends. | B．Lasting friendship. |
| C．Unselfish love. | D．Magic nature. |
LONDON ( Reuters)-- Ecotourism (生态旅游) is causing a lot of damage to wildlife and may be endangering the survival(生存) of the very animals people are flocking to see, according to researchers.
Biologists and conservationists (自然环境保护论者) are worried because polar bears, dolphins, penguins and other creatures are getting stressed and losing weight and some are dying.
“Evidence is growing that many animals do not react well to tourists in their backyard,” New Scientist magazine said.
The immediate effects researchers have noticed are changes in behavior, heart rates, or stress hormone levels but they fear it could get much worse and over the long term “could endanger the survival of the very wildlife they want to see”.
Although money produced through ecotourism, which has been growing at about 10--30 percent a year, has major benefits for poor countries and people living in rural areas, the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) and some governments fear not all projects are audited (审计) and based on environmentally friendly policies, according to the magazine.
“The transmission(传播) of disease to wildlife, or small changes to wildlife health through disturbance of daily life or increased stress levels, while not obvious to the casual observer, may translate to lower survival and breeding,” said Philip Seddon, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Scientists have noticed that bottleneck dolphins along the northeastern coast of New Zealand become nervously excited when tourist boats arrive. Similar changes in behavior have been observed in polar bears and yellow-eyed penguins in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies.
Conservationists are now calling for more research into the effect of ecotourism on animals and say the industry must be developed carefully. They also want studies done before new ecotourism projects are started.
“The animals’ welfare should be very important because without them there will be no ecotourism,” said Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.What's the text mainly about?
| A．Many animals are dying because of lack of money. |
| B．There will be no ecotourism without animals. |
| C．Ecotourism could endanger the survival of the wildlife people want to see. |
| D．More research should be done on ecotourism. |
According to New Scientist magazine, more and more evidence has come to suggest that _____.
| A．polar bears are getting stressed |
| B．other creatures are losing weight |
| C．many animals do not respond well to travellers in their backyard |
| D．All of the above |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Ecotourism may endanger the survival of some animals. |
| B．Polar bears in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies. |
| C．Ecotourism has been growing at about 10--30 percent a year. |
| D．Studies should be done before new ecotourism projects are started. |
A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation early were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible.
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn’t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists’ concerns. But brain theory can’t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people’s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as “character”.
EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one’s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the elements for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse.The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that ______.
| A．the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment |
| B．emotional intelligence won’t show up until adolescence |
| C．candy can be used to measure a person’s emotional intelligence |
| D．the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success |
Which of the following is True of EQ and IQ according to the text?
| A．Scientists are trying to discover the way in which EQ and IQ work together. |
| B．The higher a person’s IQ is, the higher his or her EQ is. |
| C．Some people can be blessed with lots of both, but some with little of either. |
| D．There is no link between EQ and IQ. |
The underlined word “upbeat” in Paragraph 4 probably means ______.
| A．optimistic | B．floating |
| C．excited | D．kind |
What is most likely to be written in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Information about famous people with high EQ. |
| B．Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field. |
| C．Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ. |
| D．Strong demand for basic emotional education. |