Many people write to newspapers and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although t
he information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibili
ty for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a
paper, for example, a business contra
ct or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous(匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he doesn’t want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of
revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our name that we honor what we say.What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?
| A．Writers should be responsible for their names. |
| B．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game. |
| C．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say. |
D．Publications must bear the writer’s full na me, address and phone number. |
The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may______.
| A．not get a reply | B．be accepted all the time |
| C．become a family problem | D．help to end a relationship |
Some people don’t want their names known because they are_______.
| A．ready for involvement | B．hesitant to make a donation |
| C．afraid of an accusation | D．unwilling to draw public attention |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．honor and writers | B．signature and responsibility |
C．identity and sign ature |
D．anonymity and signature |
London is a huge city with more things to do than anywhere else. With the London Pass, you get free entry to over 50 specially selected places with one purchase. In the list you’ll find:
●19 historic buildings
●22 museums and art galleries
●8 tours, cruises and walks and leisure activities
●13 places of interest including ships and aquariums
●12 restaurants and services
The London Pass offers not only great value and convenience , but also enables you to beat the queues at selected attractions. There are also special offers such as discounts at restaurants and theaters , where the attraction is normally free to the public. The London Pass also gives you great offers such as a free guided tour. So whether you prefer museums or cinemas, galleries or ice skating or zoos, with the London Pass there really is something for everyone.
You can buy Adult or Child passes for 2, 3 or 6 days. See all ticket prices below and choose what you need.
| Description |
Price |
| London Pass 2 days Adult-Item E-036 |
$87 |
| London Pass 3 days Adult-Item E-037 |
$104 |
| London Pass 6 days Adult-Item E-038 |
$140 |
| London Pass 2 days Child (5-15 years) |
$62 |
| London Pass 3 days Child (5-15 years) |
$72 |
| London Pass 6 days Child (5-15 years) |
$100 |
You can contact us by sending emails or making calls.
Please call 1-888-254-0637
Outside the US please call 00-800-84468370 or +1 210 507 5997
VIP reservations: Contact a Customer Service representative at 1-866-270-2849
NOTE: If your reservation is made prior to Jan 15th, 2013, email sales@previewhotels.com.With the London Pass you can probably do all the following things for free EXCEPT_________ .
| A．see famous buildings | B．stay at hotels |
| C．go boating | D．join in entertainment activities |
According to Paragraph 2, with the London Pass, visitors ________ .
| A．won’t have to pay for guided tours |
| B．can eat meals for free at some restaurants |
| C．will be fined unless they wait in line |
| D．won’t be allowed to travel alone |
How much should Mr King pay for the London Pass 2 days if he goes with his wife and 7-year-old son?
| A．$174 | B．$236 | C．$244 | D．$270 |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The London Pass has discounts for students. |
| B．16 year olds can enjoy the London Pass 2 days Child. |
| C．Children under 5 don’t need the London Pass. |
| D．The London Pass cannot be bought on weekends. |
If you are a VIP customer, you can reserve by calling ______ .
| A．1-888-254-0637 | B．00-800-84468370 |
| C．+1 210 507 5997 | D．1-866-270-2849 |
I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching (紧握) at one another’s hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up huddled (聚在一起) round listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon (蚕茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come — with the people who respect you for who you are. That is the only kind of popularity that really counts. In this passage, the author wants to tell _______.
| A．teenagers to try to pursue their real selves |
| B．readers to try to be popular with people around |
| C．parents to try to control and guide their children |
| D．people to try to understand and respect each other |
The author disapproves of rebelling teenagers _______.
| A．growing away from their parents | B．following the popularity trend |
| C．walking a new way on their own | D．turning to their friends for help |
The phrase “ larger cocoon” at the end of the second paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the distractive and variable society | B．the dazzling music world |
| C．the parental care and love | D．the popularity wave in the society |
What does the author think of advertisements?
| A．Convincing. | B．Instructive. |
| C．Influential. | D．Authoritative. |
According to the author, what might happen when a teenager stands up against the popularity wave and follows his/her own path?
| A．He/She falls behind the time. | B．He/She loses good friends. |
| C．He/She faces all kinds of criticism. | D．He/She gains valuable popularity. |
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (Health Day News) -- Middle school studentswho are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found. And, the average scores went up in connection with levels of fitness, the findings showed.
“The more physically fit kids were, the higher their scores,” said the study’s lead author, Trent Petrie, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. “Parents should encourage their kids to be physically active. There are some real cognitive (认知的) and academic benefits that come from physical fitness”, Petrie said.
Results of the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, Fla. The study included more than 1,200middle school studentsfrom five schools in a suburban area of Texas, with 561 boys and 650 girls. About 57 percent of the children were white, and nearly one-quarter were Mexican American. Nine percent were black and about 2 percent were of Asian descent.
The school district provided the researchers with information on the children’s race, age, grade level and whether they qualified for the free school lunch program, which was an indicator of the family’s socioeconomic status. The schools also provided scores to the tests, which were given between one and four months after the researchers had assessed the children’s levels of fitness. Fitness tests were administered duringphysical educationclasses to determine the youngsters’ heart and lung health (cardiorespiratory fitness), as well as their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how much body fat a person has. The children also filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers determine factors such as self-esteem and social support.
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, family income and self-esteem, the researchers found that for both boys and girls, higher levels of heart and lung healthpredicted better scores on both the math and reading tests.
For boys, perceived (感观的) social support also seemed to increase their reading scores, the investigators found. In girls, while being physically fit predicted higher reading scores, so too did a higher BMI-- which indicates more body fat. “We were a little surprised by this finding,” Petrie said.
“It was not as strong an association as the one with physical fitness,” he added. The authors suspect it may have something to do with girls this age entering adolescence, which may be related to a higher BMI and slightly higher brain development. He said he plans to make great effort to look for this relationship again in larger studies to see if it was a chance finding, or if the association holds up.
“While we can’t say 100 percent thatphysical fitnesscauses better academic performance, we can say that there is a strong and predictive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance,” Petrie said.
“It’s hard to tease apart (梳理) the exact reason for this association,” said Becky Hashim, an attending clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, in New York City.
“It may be that the children are getting more oxygen. When the heart and lungs are working at a higher capacity, it may allow the brain to work at peak performance. Children who are less fit may be sleepier during school,” she noted. “I personally feel that there’s probably a strong relationship between the confidence you get from being able to do something physical well and academic performance.”
Whatever the reason behind this association may be, “there’s certainly no harm in pushing physical fitness,” Hashim added. “Physical fitness may make you feel better, give you more confidence and improve your performance across the board,” she said.
Petrie agreed. “Physically fit kids are happier, have higher self-esteem and, tend to have better relationships, and now we’re beginning to see that there also seem to be benefits cognitively and academically. Our study sends a strong warning to policymakers to reconsider the service program of physical education classes for kids,” he said. How did the school district help the researchers carry out the study?
| A．By analyzing the data of fitness tests. |
| B．By giving some basic information. |
| C．By completing some questionnaires. |
| D．By offering a certain amount of Money. |
According to the passage, the result of the study will be published ______.
| A．in a book | B．in a journal | C．at a conference | D．on the Internet |
What’s the suitable title of the passage?
| A．Parents should be aware of the benefit of fitness. |
| B．Fitter kids are likely to make better grades. |
| C．Fitness affects kids’ social behavior greatly. |
| D．Teachers should value physical education classes. |
What’s Becky Hashim’s attitude towards the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance?
| A．Supportive | B．Indifferent | C．Critical | D．Doubtful |
What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph refer to?
| A．The BMI. | B．The body fat. | C．The brain development. | D．The test score. |
From the last paragraph we can infer that physically fit kids ______.
| A．deserve to be treated well | B．live much longer than others |
| C．get along well with others | D．enjoy a peaceful life |
As China becomes increasingly urbanized (城市化), it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be “re-inventing” a “garden city”.
China’s mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable (可耕种的) land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth.
This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world’s largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora (大移居) when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities.
On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the “garden city”, a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education.
The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It’s common to see organic “hanging garden” on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (=" practical)" benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there’re fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing.
Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites. Some experts suggest re-inventing a “garden city” because ______.
| A．it is the only model way to save the cities |
| B．it helps stop destroying the rural areas |
| C．increasing urbanization takes place in China |
| D．China has the largest population to feed |
What is the purpose of paragraph 2?
| A．To show the experts’ concern about the increase of population. |
| B．To persuade people into supporting economic growth in cities. |
| C．To explain the reasons for the change of rural-urban framework. |
| D．To inform the readers of the consequences of quick urbanization. |
In Hua Li’s opinion, a combination of country and city will ______.
| A．benefit the environment and lower living costs |
| B．become a project that needs a long-term study |
| C．lead to more rural communities being replaced |
| D．attract more farmers to take tours in cities |
Zhang is mentioned (Paragraph 5) to show that ______.
| A．he achieves his dream to own a hanging garden |
| B．hanging gardens are becoming more popular |
| C．the garden contributes to a better neighborhood |
| D．he is a pioneer to practise the gardening concept |
As for the concept of the “garden city”, the writer feels ______.
| A．desperate | B．hopeful | C．disappointed | D．concerned |
Shower Radio --- Warranty (保单) and Directions
Introduction
Congratulations! You are now the owner of a So Fine Shower Radio! It is sure to provide entertainment for many hours. In addition, the radio features a timer for those days when you are in a hurry.
Before using the radio, please read all directions, fill out and mail in the warranty card, and put warranty information in a safe place. Although we do not expect problems with the radio, you may need to refer to the warranty information at a later time.
Warranty
This radio is warranted for a one-year period that begins on the date of purchase. If it fails to work because of a problem of materials, please return it to the following address: So Fine Radio Corp, 1279 Delta Way, Monga.
We will not pay shipping costs for returning the radio to us. We will either repair or replace the radio. Please allow at least four weeks for looking at the problem and repairing the radio. If you have not heard from us within six weeks, call our customer service department at 1-800-123.
Radios that are returned to us for problems other than a problem of materials will be subject to service fee as well as the cost of the repairs. Customers will be informed of the charge by postcard. Radios will not be returned to customers until these fees are paid.
Directions
Please read all directions before using it.
Please note that this radio is designed and built to operate well in a damp environment. The self-contained batteries and circuits (线路) are contained in the enclosed space that will bear heat and humidity.
To Operate the Radio
1. Put two AA batteries in the enclosed space at the back of the radio. Be certain to follow the diagram, or the batteries will not provide electricity. The radio should NOT be adapted in order to be fixed into the wall; this will damage the waterproofing (防水).
2. Turn the POWER dial in a clockwise direction until it clicks. Continue turning the dial until the desired volume is achieved.
3. To find the desired station, press the station selector button. The tuner (调谐器) will automatically go to the next highest signal. The station’s call number will be visible in the digital screen. When the station with the highest frequency has been reached, the selector will start again at the lowest frequency.
4. To switch between AM and FM stations, move the sliding AM/FM switch.
To Operate the Timer
1. Press the Timer Set button. Each time the button is pressed, five minutes will be put on the timer. The amount of time on the timer will be visible for five seconds on the digital screen.
2. When the time on the timer doesn’t work, a beep will sound for ten seconds. The timer may be reset again one minute.
Troubleshooting
Before returning the radio for service, please check the following items:
Problem: Radio cannot be heard.
1. Check batteries to be certain that they still have power and are put in correctly.
2. Check Power/Volume Control.
Problem: Timer does not work.
1. Check batteries to be certain that they still have power and are put in correctly.
2. Follow directions above for setting timer.
3. Turn the power control on. The timer will not work when the radio is not on.
4. Adjust the volume control which regulates the volume of the beep as well as the radio volume. The digital screen will show both ______.
| A．the volume level and the AM/FM indicator |
| B．the AM/FM indicator and the radio station |
| C．the time remaining on the timer and the date |
| D．the call number and time on the timer |
Which of the following is covered within this text?
| A．How to operate the radio and the timer. |
| B．What other owners say about the radio. |
| C．Who will benefit from using the radio. |
| D．Where to purchase the radio. |
What question might a reader still have about this product?
| A．How can I know the service fee? |
| B．Where should I send a nonworking radio? |
| C．How is the radio placed in the shower? |
| D．What kind of batteries does the radio use? |
According to the text, what should you do before returning the radio for service?
| A．Contact the store where you purchased it. |
| B．Check whether certain problems exist. |
| C．Call the producer for a repair number. |
| D．Consult the telephone book for local repair service. |