EVENTS(赛事)
Bicycle tour and race
A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27(Sat. & Sun. ). At 
5:30am, the riders will leave Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be taken from Jixian to Changli.
The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaibe, covering a distance of 20 kilometers. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free for play at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
Cost: 20
0 Yuan Telephone: 4675027
Brazilian footballers
The Brazilian Football Club will play Beijing Guo'an Team at the Workers Stadium on August 26. The club has four national team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star Romario ho has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.
Ticket prices: 60,100,150 Yuan
Time/Date: 4:30 pm, 
August 26(Sat.) Telephone: 5012372
Rock climbing
The Third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on August 26-27 at the Huairou Mountain-climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Dalian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition climbing. Free for spectators(观众).
Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.
Time/Dates: 9-12 
am, August 26 and 27
Telephone: 7143177, 7144850, Wang Zhenghua If you take part in the bike tour, you will ride for _________.
| A．35 kilometers | B．55 kilometers | C．75 kilometers | D．110 kilometers |
The underlined word "leg" in "Bicycle tour and race" probably means ________.
| A．race | B．practice | C．part of the training | D．part of the tour |
What is special about the Rock climbing competition?
| A．A foreign team takes part in it. |
| B．You can watch it without paying. |
| C．You don't have to be a sportsman to take part. |
| D．The bus trip to the place of the competition is free. |
If you want to find something to do for Saturday afternoon, which telephone number will you call?
| A．4675027 | B．7143177 | C．5012372 | D．7144850 |
Starting in l972，the National Park Service established a policy for forest fires calle Natural Burn．It was acknowledged that some forest fires，such as those caused by lightning were necessary for forests to maintain balanced ecosystems，so the fire should be allowed to burn．However, a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in l988 caused this policy to be abandoned since the fire was initially allowed to burn yet soon out of control．As a result，the fire of l988 destroyed much of Yellowstone，which is America’s oldest and most beloved national park．Massive areas of plants were destroyed，and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted visitors．The rivers and streams were choked with ash，and the ecosystem of the park was changed beyond repair.
In addition，great numbers of animals were killed by the fires that bumed out of control. The fires were driven by high winds，moving as many as ten miles a day．Many small animals died in the flames．The fires’ rapid advances gave the wildlife little chance to escape. Even today，few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park. In the years immediately following the fires，the numbers of visitors declined rapidly．No one was interested in seeing a blackened and treeless park on vacation．Yellowstone had previously been famous for its amazing views and unique geological formations such as the geyser Old Faithful. But now its reputation as America's wonder is damaged permanently.Natural Burn was adopted because some forest fires were
| A．hard to put out |
| B．started by lightning |
| C．good for the balance of nature |
| D．approved by National Park Service |
The big fire in Yellowstone in 1988．
| A．became out of control at first |
| B．destroyed the park completely |
| C．was allowed to burn continuously |
| D．brought the natural burn policy to an end |
Why were so many animals killed in the big fire?
| A．Because winds were blown from high places． |
| B．Because the animals moved only ten miles a day． |
| C．Because the animals lived in lower places． |
| D．Because strong winds contributed to the fire a lot． |
Yellowstone was famous for its．
| A．rare animals | B．unique plants | C．beautiful scenery | D．little streams |
The text probably comes from．
| A．a science fiction | B．a news report |
| C．a commercial ad | D．a geography magazine |
Shirley Temple(1928—2014)，an American actress，was considered among the most successful child stars in the history of film．Born by an ambitious mother，Temple first appeared in a film at the age of three，and at six she starred in Stand Up and Cheer (1934)．Known and recognized for her ability to sing and tapdance in several films，Temple became a famous figure in 1934．At the end of that year she was given a special Academy Award “in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution．’’
During the Great Depression of the l930s，Temple was celebrated by an adoring public．At the height of her popularity，from l935 to 1938，Temple was the biggest box-office attraction in Hollywood．Temple made a number of films as a teenager，but her appeal had faded，and the films were not successful．In l949, Temple depaaed elegantly from Hollywood．
Two decades later，she reappeared into the spotlight by announcing her qualification as a candidate for Congress．She lost the election，but Temple displayed her determination and went on to enjoy a long and successful：career with the United Nations and the State Department．
After retirement，she reposed that she was at peace with her life and proud of her accomplishments in two of the nation’s most influential areas．“If I had to do it all over again．’’Shirley Temple once declared，‘‘I wouldn’t change anything．’’
Temple became famous at the age of
| A．3 | B．6 | C．10 | D．2l |
What do we learn from Paragraph 2 ?
| A．Temple was still popular in l949． |
| B．Temple was a failure as a child star． |
| C．Hollywood made a big fortune because of Temple. |
| D．People became tired of Temple in the Great Depression. |
Temple attracted people’s attention again when
| A．she entered Congress |
| B．she worked for the UN |
| C．she went on with the pohtical life |
| D．she announced to participate in the election |
We know-from the last paragraph that Temple
| A．wanted to lead a different life |
| B．regreued having left Hollywood |
| C．was content with her experiences |
| D．was sorry about her election failure |
Which of the following best describes Temple?
| A．3pecial and generous． | B．Patient and sensitive． |
| C．Attractive and humorous． | D．Talented and determined． |
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves.There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asia societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.The writer’s purpose of writing this passage is.
| A．to share his idea with others in a new way |
| B．to introduce two different systems of education through contrast |
| C．to criticize the society that values memorization |
| D．to prepare students for society |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East |
| B．Japanese students learn much more about science than American students. |
| C．Canadian students are more individual than Korean students. |
| D．Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia. |
From the facts, we can infer that .
| A．Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students |
| B．Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students |
| C．the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system. |
| D．the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System. |
| B．The Value of Individualism. |
| C．Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West. |
| D．Memorization-an Important Learning Method. |
Market analysts in the United States have recently been quoted as saying that the biggest threat to the luxury (奢侈品) industry in the US is the tech industry. This is according to an article by fellow journalist Ashley Lutz. Her suggestion is sound. The main idea of her article is that products from Tiffany & Co. find their biggest competition not from other luxury brands but from companies like Apple. Lutz points out that luxury products are often only for “show,” while the attraction behind tech products is functionality.
You find few people in the United States today willing to purchase luxury goods at full price. It didn’t use to be that way. Luxury goods used to be actually exclusive. That meant you needed to travel to the right store to purchase them, and you didn’t even have the option of getting a deal.
Today, no one wants to pay full price for luxury goods. People have the unfortunate belief that fakes (赝品) somehow are equal to originals, and if you can’t get a deal on eBay, Amazon, or in an outlet store, purchasing a luxury product probably isn’t worth it. Luxury brands struggle to remain high-end (高档的) images despite the reality that the American consumer is motivated much more by discounts than they are by brand names or image.
Yet people stand in line to pay full price for a new product from Apple and crowds gather to hear about a new smart phone. While electronics are updating every day, people are purchasing technology at full prices much more than they are purchasing luxury goods. What are high-tech makers doing right that luxury makers are pitifully failing at?
Carefully looking at the situation, it would appear as if the Internet didn’t hurt the luxury industry, expectation from the consumers did. What people want these days more than anything is stuff that does something. They want cars that drive, shoes that are comfortable, games that are fun to play, screens that are beautiful to look at, tools that are useful, and entertainment that is entertaining. Little of that fits into what the luxury industry has typically offered with its status, image, and fine materials. The sad reality is that luxury products aren’t that luxury any more.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Nobody likes luxury goods any more. |
| B．Luxury goods are of poor quality nowadays. |
| C．Tech products become the new “luxury goods”. |
| D．Iphones have taken the place of luxury products. |
The underlined word “exclusive” in paragraph 2 means _______.
| A．unique and with no bargain | B．low in price |
| C．hard to find | D．easy to sell |
From paragraph 3 we can know that _______.
| A．people have found that some luxury goods are fakes |
| B．people can buy luxury goods at a low price on eBay |
| C．luxury brands will give up high-end images |
| D．consumers prefer brand names to discounts |
It must be something in the air as every company that possibly can is having a baby contest. Of course, babies are wonderful , and many parents would be the first to agree. Companies really bring in much money.
Walgreens Baby Contest
If you play the new Baby Milestones Challenge Contest by BabyCenter & Walgreens, you could be entered to win $1,000 in Walgreens & Beauty.com Gift Cards and Certificates. You can play the instant win to see if you get a $25 Walgreen’s gift card, but you have to plug in your email address and receive all their sales and other information for the contest.
Kids and Babies
Kids and Babies are accepting entries for May 2012 Free Photo Contest. Baby Photo Gallery with theme albums and age group albums is moved to the new website Cute Baby Gallery. Check KidsandBibs.com for their Baby Photo Contest blog’s latest update. Grand prize is $25,000. The catch: Winners are decided by the visitors coming to the site and voting for their favorite babies, so you have to advertise their site for them.
Parents.com
Perents.com has a website only for their members, but if you are into “baby” photos, it is well worth surfing. You could receive offers on free samples, money- saving coupons (优惠券), and chances to win the latest contests.
Avon
Avon is another company that has a baby photo contest this spring. Avon is advertising their newest collection. It is Avon’s only collection for the photos of babies. Babies’ age: newborn to 2 years. Just go to TinyTillia.com and upload your recent baby’s photos. First place Baby will be featured in a Tiny Tillia Storybook and win a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond. The Cuties will win $300 in Tiny Tillia products.
The tip is to run a search engine for all the latest contests going on and start entering them today. You could be lucky and win enough to put “Baby” through college! Have fun!In the author’s opinion, holding a baby contest __________.
| A．is not reasonable at all |
| B．is funny and interesting |
| C．attracts parents’ attention |
| D．can cost a company much money |
If your baby enters for the 2012 Free Photo Contest, you will __________.
| A．have to help to advertise their site |
| B．take your baby to the gallery in May |
| C．advise the visitors to come to the site |
| D．see the Baby Photo Gallery’s update about Babies’ photos of the contest |
What can we learn from this passage？
| A．Free Photo Contest will be held in March, 2012. |
| B．Avon is a website that will hold a baby photo contest. |
| C．Parents.com only accepts the photos of its members’ babies. |
| D．You can upload your one-year-old baby’s photos to TinyTillia.com. |
In the last paragraph, the author advises you to __________.
| A．try your best to bring up your baby well |
| B．enter for all the contests as soon as possible |
| C．let your kid go to college when he grows up |
| D．get more information about these contests |