Crossroads International
How does Crossroads work?
Crossroads is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn’t want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare arena(福利院) in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource.
Who do we help?
The welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets(预算). They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can’t get the job done without back-up, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, stationery(文具) to medical provision, cupboards to dinning sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock.
How do we operate?
Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight(货运)，we ask transport companies to donate their services. Nobody in our organization receives a salary. Even our full-time staff works on a voluntary basis.
Those that donate goods and services:
·Factories·Manufacturers ·Hospitals ·Hotels ·Householders
·Offices ·Other Charities ·Transport Companies ·Educational Institutions
One resource that we are always in need of is people. While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping.
What can I do?
We are always in need of people. We have a lot of tasks. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the following categories, some of the time. You are welcome to number your top three choices and we will do our best to accommodate them.
·Clothing categorization ·Sewing ·Toy categorization ·Furniture handling
·Driving ·Book categorization ·Household goods categorization ·Office work
·Electrical goods categorization ·Book keeping ·Fund- raising
·Stationery categorization ·Medical categorization
Where to find us?
All volunteer work is done at out warehouse:
Located in Basement Zone M of the Kai Tak Government Building
Our warehouse hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00am-5:30pm
Postal address: 16 Man Tong, Silvermine Bay, Lantau Island, HK
Office details: Ph: 2984 9309, 2740 9657Crossroads International is .
| A．a welfare agency | B．a place to store goods donated |
| C．an organization to collect goods for those who need them | |
| D．an organization run by the government |
People in poor areas can’t get help from the Crossroads if they need .
| A．toys and books | B．furniture and computers |
| C．fresh water and food | D．clothes and washing machines |
Which of the following is not the choice if you decide to offer help?
| A．Driving | B．Fundraising | C．Furniture handling | D．Teaching |
The purpose of this brochure(小册子) is mainly to .
| A．look for volunteers to work for Crossroads | B．call on people to donate more goods |
| C．let people know what Crossroads International is | D．tell people what Crossroads can provide |
From the above brochure, we can conclude that .
| A．people who work at Crossroads get low pay from it |
| B．Crossroads doesn’t give goods directly to the people who need them |
| C．You can do whatever you like if you offer help at Crossroads |
| D．Crossroads has collected more goods than needed |
The New York Aquarium (水族馆) offers a diverse collection and nice viewing experience for all our guests. Whether you’re observing penguins on their rocky coastline home or swimming underwater, looking at a coral reef (珊瑚礁) under the water, or cheering on California sea lions at the theater, you’ll find plenty to see and do during your visit. Your underwater adventure is waiting for you! This summer, head out to Coney Island to learn about the underwater world at the New York Aquarium.
Just off the Coney Island in Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium features more than 300 marine (海洋的) species, such as dolphins and seals. Meet some of our mammals and fish, and learn about their natural history, biology, and cultural roles.
| Hours |
|
| Summer hours May 28 – Sept. 5 |
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
| Fall hours Sept. 6 – Nov. 6 |
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
| Winter hours Nov. 7 – Mar. 31 |
10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. , Daily |
| Spring hours Apr. 1– May 27 |
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
Total Experience Ticket
Adult $18.00
Child (Ages 3-12) $14.00
Senior (65+)$15.00
Groups (at least ten visitors) $8.00
﹡Includes admission to our 4-D Theater Plus General Admission.
﹡Children under 3 years old are free!
﹡To receive the group rate, you must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance of your group’s visit. Please call 718-741-1818.
Friday Afternoon Special
Admission on Fridays beginning at 3:00 p.m. is by donation. Suggested donation is $13 for adults, $9 for children, and $10 for seniors. Every dollar you give supports our work in caring for animals at the aquarium.
Aquarium Parking
Car $13.00
Bus $13.00
Please note:
﹡Due to rising costs, the Wildlife Conservation Society reserves the right to change all fees without notice.
﹡All Aquarium buildings and exhibits are wheelchair-accessible.
﹡For further information, please call 718-265-3454.Which animal can’t visitors probably see at the New York Aquarium?
| A．Penguins. | B．Pandas. | C．Dolphins. | D．Seals. |
Six adults (including a man of 68) and two children (aged 2 and 10) are going to visit the New York Aquarium on Sunday. They will have to pay ______________ at least.
| A．$144 | B．$133 | C．$64 | D．$119 |
The donation is used to ______________.
| A．help the poor people |
| B．help to save the endangered animals in the wild |
| C．care for animals at the aquarium |
| D．help the disabled visitors |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You can visit the New York Aquarium at 5:30 p.m. on Christmas. |
| B．A visitor in a wheelchair can get around at the New York Aquarium. |
| C．Visitors can enjoy free parking service on Friday. |
| D．To enjoy the group rate, visitors must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance by sending an e-mail. |
You love Jay Chou's songs and you can sing some quite well. So you make a video of your performance and post it online for your friends to see. But what if this led to something beyond your wildest
imagination—a career in music?
Canadian teenager Justin Bieber, 16, has just had the magical experience: He posted homemade videos of his versions of songs by American singer Chris Brown online for his relatives. He received a phone call from Brown, telling him how much he liked his performance. His singing eventually earned him a fan base and a record contract. After releasing a popular record in November 2009, his album My world 2.0 came out last Tuesday.
Bieber sings ballads（民歌）and songs about puppy love. But is he just another gooey (甜腻的) teen idol? David Malitz, a columnist with the Washington Post, doesn't think so. “If we truly want the best forAmerican children, let us pause and give thanks for Justin Bieber，” he writes. “After years of humdrum bubblegum (乏味的摇滚舞曲) from Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, the 16yearold has thrown a candycoated wrench (扭转) into Disney's heartthrob (甜心) assembly line by giving young fans something worth screaming their lungs out for lovable pop songs.”
From a boy who grew up below the poverty line with his divorced mom to a star who caused nearriots (近乎失控) in shopping malls, even Bieber himself can't believe his overnight fame, although his kind of success is becoming more and more common in the Internet era.
Interested in hockey, the national sport of Canada, the boy once put up pictures of players on the walls of his bedroom. He dreamed of being a hockey star and used to practice signing his autograph. He doesn't need practice now. He signs autographs, if the girls can get close enough, as a music star.What did Chris Brown think of Justin Bieber's singing?
| A．He didn't like it. | B．He liked it very much. |
| C．He didn't say anything. | D．He supported Justin Bieber. |
What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
| A．He had a happy family. |
| B．His family was very poor once. |
| C．His family was rich. |
| D．His family helped him a lot. |
What's Justin Bieber's hobby?
| A．Singing. | B．Hockey. | C．Signing. | D．Making records. |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．Justin Bieber's overnight singing online. |
| B．Justin Bieber's common experience. |
| C．Justin Bieber's life. |
| D．Justin Bieber's records. |
All across California, honeybees are flying away from their hives(蜂箱) and dying. Empty hives are causing a lot of worry about some important food crops.
Bees give us a lot more than delicious honey. They are pollinators（授粉者）—they enable plants to produce the fruits and nuts we enjoy by carrying pollen from one plant or flower to the next. The wind pollinates oats, corn, and wheat, but many other plants (like apple and cherry trees and melon vines) depend on insects, bats, and birds. In the U.S., millions and millions of bees kept by human beekeepers fly around doing a lot of this important work for food crops. “Bees are worth protecting because their work adds so much to our diet,” says Dr. Jeff Pettis of the Bee Research Laboratory.
California’s almond (杏仁) crop alone depends on about half the bees in the country. But now the almond crop and many others could be in trouble with so many bees dying.
Researchers at government and university labs all over the country are trying to figure out why so many bees are dying. However, bees are hard to study. Most die away from the hive, so researchers don’t have dead bodies to examine. And when researchers return to a hive after two weeks, about half the bees they studied on their first visit will be dead, replaced by new ones in the natural life cycle of bees.“It isn’t like studying a large animal like a cow that doesn’t move around much and is easy to find out in the cow field,” says Pettis.
Researchers have some ideas about what could be affecting bee health. They could be sick from poisons widely used to kill insects, or they might not be getting enough good food to stay strong. Also, tiny insects called mites feed on bees. “A virus or bacteria could also be doing the killing.” explains Pettis.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
| A．The wind helps pollinate. |
| B．Bees are important in food crops. |
| C．Bees give us a lot of delicious honey. |
| D．Cherry trees are pollinated by bees. |
Bees are hard to study because ____________.
| A．they move around too much |
| B．new bees soon replace all the bees studied by researchers |
| C．they are too tiny |
| D．they never return to hives |
What could cause so many bees to die?
| A．Poisons to kill birds. | B．Eating too much. |
| C．Large insects. | D．Some virus. |
What can we learn from the article?
| A．A large number of bees have died in the hive. |
| B．Without bees, some foods would disappear from our diet. |
| C．Only researchers in California want to know what kills bees. |
| D．Large animals are easier to study than tiny insects. |
XI’AN– China has introduced various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution in the central and eastern regions.
The air quality index (AQI) for Xi’an reached 500 on Wednesday afternoon, at the top of the AQI scale, according to the national air quality monitoring website. Xi’an weather forecasters predict the smog (雾霾) will continue for the next week and air pollution may worsen.
“I have to keep buying masks for my family,” said Liu, buying masks at a pharmacy (药店) near her home in downtown Xi’an. “This is the only thing we can do to protect ourselves.”
On Wednesday, a city government emergency response plan was put into action, suspending all construction and taking at least 50 percent of government vehicles off the road. Power plants must limit their output and reduce emissions.
Nearly half the country, more than 100 cities in 20 provinces, has suffered from smog since last December. Many have taken action, including experimenting with artificial methods to reduce smog, limiting vehicle use and fining polluters.
Assessments based on GDP alone were abandoned last month and more emphasis has been put on public well-being and the environment. Whether the move will be effective in forcing local governments consider environmental issues over economic growth remains to be seen. Environmental protection professionals are doubtful about the immediacy of the effects of these measures.
Xiao Hang, an urban researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it took London 50 years to lose the moniker (绰号) “foggy London town”, and Los Angeles still struggles to control its photochemical (光化学) smog. “We can’t ignore environmental problems during the development process and China has a long way to go,” he said.What would be the best title for the article?
| A．AQI for Xi’an reached 500 |
| B．Smog crisis tries the limits of people’s patience |
| C．Smoggy Chinese cities to clear the air |
| D．Dust masks become hot sellers |
The underlined word “suspending” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.
| A．encouraging | B．stopping | C．continuing | D．expanding |
We can infer from the article that _________.
| A．China is the only country suffering from smog |
| B．environmental professionals believe the air quality will soon be improved with these measures |
| C．assessments based on GDP alone were harmful to environmental protection |
| D．Xi’an was the most polluted city in China |
What Xiao Hang said indicates _____________.
| A．London still has serious air pollution after 50 years of effort |
| B．the development of China is more important |
| C．solving environmental problems requires great effort |
| D．it’s normal for China to have environmental problems |
I once had a house guest from Cuba.During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender (搅拌机) in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter – in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960’s, mainly because they do not have a choice.
In contrast, the U.S. is a “throw-away society.” Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day.I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon.
“Planned obsolescence(废弃)” is not a secret. It is a manufacturing (制造业) philosophy developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when mass production became popular.The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again.
Planned obsolescence does keep costs down.Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable(一次性的) items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.
Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week.
In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be.
Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted.Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life.In Cuba, people usually fix a broken item instead of buying a new one because __________.
| A．wasting is prohibited there | B．they are poor |
| C．they are interested in fixing things | D．they live a low-carbon life |
According to the article, planned obsolescence ___________.
| A．began before mass production became popular |
| B．is intended to encourage consumers to buy more things |
| C．results in higher prices of items |
| D．requires factories to produce high-quality products |
Which of the following is NOT true about the “throw-away society” in the U.S.?
| A．People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one. |
| B．A large quantity of food has been wasted. |
| C．People believe that the more they have, the happier they will be. |
| D．People all hold the belief that money comes first. |
What may be the writer’s attitude towards a throw-away society?
| A．Supportive. | B．Critical. | C．Tolerant. | D．Optimistic. |