Today's Britain is full of TV shows like Fame Academy, which claim to offer young hopefuls an instant passport to fame and riches. But a very different kind of academy may provide a new generation of Brits with a slower, steadier path to wealth.
A 'pig academy' in the east of England is aiming to train up new pig farmers to help promote local agriculture and meet the UK's growing demand for pork. Last year consumption of pork products increased by 6,000 tonnes. But British farmers have not benefited from this rise in demand. A combination of increasing feed prices, competition from cheaper imports and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease have all eaten into their profits. Pig numbers in the UK have actually almost halved in the last decade.
Now, Fresh Start Pig Academy in Lincolnshire is launching a course which intends to redress (修复) the balance. They say pig husbandry (养猪业) is a growth industry and newcomers are welcome. For those of you who fancy getting your hands dirty, the course will teach you everything you need to know, from keeping pigs healthy to raising the capital needed to start up.
Pig farmer Anne Longthorp followed her father into the industry and believes that farming pigs is very rewarding work: "They're great, curious animals to work with. Just watching their behaviour – it's really interesting work. There is a lot more to pig farming than people give us credit for. It's very scientific."
So, while most of Britain's young people may continue to dream of overnight stardom, others will hope a more traditional career will help them bring home the bacon.The second paragraph is mainly about the pig academy come into being.
| A．why | B．how | C．when | D．where |
Which is not the contribution to the decrease in pig farmers' enthusiasm?
| A．growing demand for pork |
| B．increasing feed prices |
| C．competition from cheaper imports |
| D．outbreak of foot and mouth disease |
From the passage we can infer that the Pig Academy will .
| A．lead the youth to riches faster than the Fame Academy |
| B．provide geilivable help for whoever attends the course |
| C．be more popular with young people than other academies |
| D．make some young people overnight star |
What does the underlined phrase "getting your hands dirty" probably mean?
| A．making your hands dirty by raising pigs |
| B．taking up the job as a pig farmer |
| C．avoiding the pig bed dirty to keep them fit |
| D．collecting enough money to raise pigs |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Anne Longthorp loves the job of farming pigs. |
| B．Anne Longthorp’s family all like raising pigs. |
| C．Most young people in Britain will like the career of farming pigs. |
| D．People who farm pigs are allowed to bring home many bacons. |
He had travelled thousands of miles in the hope of earning some money，but 18-year-old Lin Kongming never knew danger was waiting for him.
He and six other migrant workers from Fujian Province spent 36 hours in Iraq as international hostages（人质）. But luckily，they were set free last Tuesday morning，unharmed by the people who had taken them hostage.
After hard work by Chinese diplomats（外交官）in the region the Iraqi kidnappers（绑架者）agreed to hand them over to a local religious group.“The friendly relations between the Chinese and Iraqi peoples have played a key role in the release of the hostages,”said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan. China refused to join the US-led coalition（联军）in the Iraq war.
Since April 4，over 60 hostages from 12 countries，including America，Italy and Japan，have been taken in Iraq. Some have been released, others were killed.
The Iraqi resistance groups have started taking foreigners hostage in an attempt to force the US-led troops out of their country. As a result，many foreigners have left，fearing the situation will get worse. Some nations are also considering removing their troops from Iraq. Thailand has ordered its forces not to leave their camp and may bring them home before September as originally planned. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark is considering similar action.
But Dan Senor，spokesman for the US-led coalition in Baghdad，said that it would not negotiate（谈判）with “terrorists or kidnappers” to get hostages released.The seven workers from Fujian were set free mainly because ______.
| A．they were too poor to pay anything |
| B．kidnappers didn’t know they were Chinese |
| C．China didn’t take sides with the US-led coalition |
| D．kidnappers were friendly to the Chinese |
Why did the Iraqi resistance groups start to take foreigners hostage？
| A．To show their anger towards the occupation of foreign troops. |
| B．To tell the world they would fear nothing. |
| C．To make foreign armies leave their country. |
| D．To resist the American troops. |
The author mentioned Dan Senor to show the US ______.
| A．wouldn’t give in to Iraqi terrorists or kidnappers |
| B．had enough power to station in Iraq |
| C．wouldn’t give up unless it could get something |
| D．had no plan to bring its troops home |
The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．the hostage crises in Iraq |
| B．foreigners were not welcome in Iraq |
| C．the Chinese hostages were set free |
| D．keeping away from Iraq is a wise choice |
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school.And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
"When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it."
"I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper."
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said "Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them"
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的)and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing. |
| B．To Type or To Hand Write |
| C．Writing By Computer Will Replace Writing By Hand |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters. |
The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
| A．they are usually asked to e-mail their Homework and Essays |
| B．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| C．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in”(Paragraph 4) probably means_____.
| A．getting bored with | B．getting dependent on |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting curious about |
We can draw the conclusion from the passage that_______.
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
| B．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
| C．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
| D．the typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality |
Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity (身份) than to step out of uniform ?
Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are tax- deductible ( 可减税的). They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.
Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.
Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.It is surprising that Americans who worship variety and individuality ___________.
| A．still judge a man by his clothes |
| B．hold the uniform in such high regard |
| C．enjoy having a professional identity |
| D．will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform |
The chief function of a uniform is to ___________.
| A．provide practical benefits to the wearer |
| B．make the wearer catch the public eye |
| C．inspire the wearer's confidence in himself |
| D．provide the wearer with a professional identity |
According to the passage, people wearing uniforms _____________.
| A．are usually helpful | B．have little or no individual freedom |
| C．tend to lose their individuality | D．enjoy greater popularity |
The best title for this passage would be ____________.
| A．Uniforms and Society |
| B．The Importance of Wearing a Uniform |
| C．Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform |
| D．Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms |
阅读下列材料，从所给的六个选项（A、B、C、D、E和F）中，选出符合各小题要求的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。(共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
The following people are expressing their thoughts (81--85) to show their concern for food, environment and so on．After
that are pieces of related information (A--F) ．Now decide which piece of information would be most suitable for the thought and idea mentioned in questions (81—85) and mark your answer letter (A---F) on your answer sheet．There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
______How I was struck by the clear water and fresh air in my childhood! But everything has changed, that is, the clear water and fresh air are nowhere to be found again as they were．Above all, a great deal of waste hardly rots away.
______More and more people are beginning to have a good knowledge of the importance of a safer and cleaner environment, which in turn forces the business to be cleaned up.
______Organic products are getting more and more popular among people, but we should know the fact that organic products might also have something to do with pesticides.
______I’m very much fond of growing some vegetables of my own in my small garden, for many vegetables on sale in markets are actually becoming more and more dangerous as a result of widespread pesticides.
______Nowadays it is very convenient for consumers to find and buy green food in supermarkets as they are clearly marked.
| A．"Organic produce is always better, "Gold said．"The food is free of pesticides(农药) ,and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms．And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty." Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. |
| B．Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences - but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete．For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products．And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported to meet growing demand．"The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market, "said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business. |
| C．Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted．Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem．One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of. |
| D．However, today, more and more consumers are choosing "green" and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment．Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these: "Will this shampoo damage the environment?" "Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?" |
E．Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds．Some supermarket products carry labels(标签) to show that the product is green．Some companies have made the manufacturing(制造) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.
F．The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business．No longer will the public accept the old attitude of "Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it." The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.
A senior United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children’s welfare.
A. H. M. Farook, UNICEF’s operations area officer for China and Mongolia said that China “can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily.”
China’s child population makes up one-fifth of the world’s total. “The reason behind the tremendous(巨大的) achievement is China’s long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society,” he said.
“What’s more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need.” The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home at the Shangri-la Hotel, Beijing.
The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks, sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a “Share the Sunshine” party, as a prelude(前奏) to celebrations to mark the Children’s Day.
The Beijing children’s Welfare Home, set up soon after New China was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children.
A leading official of the welfare institution said that
the children live a happy life and that the agency spends 400—500 yuan a month for an average orphan. An average Chinese workers earned 440 yuan a month during the first quarter this year.
Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary-general of the China Youth Development Foundation(CYDF), said people from all walks of life have contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children.
She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which calls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling.
By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuan in donations, which has helped the establishment of 2, 074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1. 25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms.
Three “Hope Stars” also attended the party. They were model teenagers chosen among students who are economically supported by the Project Hope to further their nine-year compulsory studies in the poverty-stricken regions. They will be torchbearers for the Chinese Team for the up coming Atlanta Olympic Games this year. Children can grow healthily and happily as long as _______.
| A．parents take good care of them both at home and in society |
| B．the whole society care for children as well as their parents |
| C．Schools and teachers pay much attention to the growth of children |
| D．Chinese people always give special attention to children who are in special need |
Every year the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home spends _______ on the orphans
| A．1, 920, 000 yuan | B．2, 160, 000 yuan |
| C．Over 2, 400, 000 yuan | D．2, 200, 000 yuan or so |
CYDF collected 700 million yuan with the purpose of _______.
| A．reducing dropouts |
| B．helping homeless orphans |
| C．supporting the Chinese Team for the coming Atlanta Olympic Games |
| D．establishing 2, 074 Hope primary schools all over the country |
We can infer from the text that _______.
| A．Every Chinese child has its own special need, so we should pay special attention to each. |
| B．All the children in the poverty-stricken regions of China are too poor to go to school. |
| C．Ever since liberation. the Chinese Communist Party has been concerned about the growth of the younger generation. |
| D．With the help of UNICEF officials, there are no more dropouts in China. |
It is possible that this passage was written in _______.
| A．1992 | B．1996 | C．1998 | D．2000 |