In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射) so that they won't carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal,you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be:Their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone. The passage mainly talks about ________ .
A.how to keep disease from pets | B.pets in Canada |
C.how to take good care of pets | D.life of the old in Canada |
They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ___ .
A.the pets are sick |
B.the pets are wild |
C.they want to stop them from carrying disease |
D.they want them to sleep on the way home |
This passage shows that Canadians________ .
A.hate animals | B.often kill animals |
C.love animals | D.don't keep pets inside houses |
In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because_____ .
A.they don't love their parents any more |
B.they can only find jobs far from their parents |
C.their parents' houses are too small |
D.they wouldn't depend on their parents any more |
On March 25, 2013, two pandas were shipped from China to Canada. The pandas received a warm welcome to the North America from Canada’s Prime Minister Step
hen Harper and Chinese ambassador(大使)Zhang Junsai.
The pandas will spend five years at the Toronto Zoo, and then spend another five years at the Calgary Zoo. This is the first time in 20 years that pandas have been sent to a Canadian zoo. “I want to offer my sincere thanks to the government of China for sharing these two pandas, symbolizing peace and friendship, with all Canadians, ”said Prime Minister Harper.
The pandas are named Er Shun and Da Mao. Er Shun, a five-year-old female, came from the Chongqing Zoo, in southwest China. Da Mao, a four-year-old male, traveled from Chengdu. The panda passengers were given plenty of snacks throughout the flight. Each panda received more than 200 pounds of bamboo and 100 pounds of apples.
The number of pandas is decreasing and now there are only 1, 600 pandas left in the wild. And this is partly due to the loss of their primary food source, bamboo. According to a recent study, warming temperatures are causing a shortage of bamboo in at least one region of China where pandas live.
The climate in Er Shun and Da Mao’s new home in Canada isn’t perfect for growing bamboo. Twice a week, the Memphis Zoo, in Tennessee, will ship about 700 pounds of the green plant up north to the Toronto Zoo. While the pandas are far from China, zookeepers plan to make Canada feel like their home. We can know from the second paragraph that.
A.China often sends pandas to Canada |
B.Canada is very thankful for China’s help |
C.the two pandas will spend ten years in Canada |
D.the two pandas will only live in one place. |
According to the passage, the two pandas.
A.are both four years old |
B.are from the same Chinese zoo |
C.can eat as many as 100 pounds of apples in a day |
D.were given over 400 pounds of bamboo on the flight |
What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.The reason for the decreasing number of pandas. |
B.The primary food source of pandas. |
C.The lifestyle of pandas in the wild. |
D.The effects of warming temperatures on bamboo. |
It can be learned from the passage that.
A.pandas eat nothing but bamboo and apples |
B.the climate in Toronto is unfit for bamboo to grow |
C.the animal that all Canadians like best is pandas |
D.China lent the two pandas just in order to help Canada |
On a wet Wednesday evening in Seoul, six government employees gathered at the office to prepare for a late-night patrol(巡逻). The mission is to find children who are studying after 10 p. m. and stop them.
In South Korea, it has come to this. To reduce the country’s addiction to private, after-hours tutoring academies(called hagwons), the authorities have begun enforcing a curfew(宵禁令)—even rewarding citizens for turning in violators.
But cramming(临时死记硬背)is deeply anchored in Asia, where top grades have long been prized as essential for professional success. Before toothbrushes or printing presses, there were civil service exams that could make or break you. Chinese families have been hiring test preparation tutors since the 7th century. Nowadays South Korea has taken this competition to new extremes. In 2010, 74% of all students engaged in some kind of private after-school instruction, sometimes called shadow education, at an average cost of KRW 2, 600 per student for a year. There are more private instructors in South Korea than school teachers, and the most popular of them make millions of dollars a year from online and in-person classes. When Singapore’s Education Minister was asked last year about his nation’s reliance on private tutoring, he found one reason for hope, “We are not as bad as the Koreas. ”
In Seoul, legions of students who failed to get into top universities spend the entire year after high school attending hagwons to improve their scores on university admission tests. And they must compete even to do this. At the prestigious Daesung Institute, admission is based on students’ test scores. Only 14% of applicants are accepted. After a year of 14-hour days, about 70% gain entry to one of the nation’s top three universities.
South Koreans are not alone in their discontent. Across Asia, reformers are pushing to make schools more “American”—even as some U. S. reformers make their own schools more “Asian”. In China, universities have begun fashioning new entry tests to target students with talents beyond book learning. And Taiwanese officials recently announced that kids will no longer have to take high-stress exams to get into high school. In South Korea, the apogee of extreme education, gets its reforms right, it could be a model for other societies.
The problem is not that South Korea kids aren’t learning enough or working hard enough, but that they aren’t working smart. When I visited some schools, I saw classrooms in which a third of the students slept while the teacher continued lecturing, seemingly undisturbed.
The government has repeatedly tried to humanize the education system, but after each attempt, the hagwons come back stronger. But this time, its reforms are targeting not just the dysfunctional symptom but also the causes. It is working to improve normal public schools by putting teachers and principals through rigorous(严格的)evaluations—which include opinion surveys by students, parents and peer teachers—and requiring additional training for low-scoring teachers. At the same time, the government hopes to reduce the pressure on students. Admissions tests for high schools have been abolished. Middle schoolers are now judged on the basis of their regular grades and an interview. And 500 admissions officers have been appointed to the country’s universities, to judge applicants not only on their test scores and grades but also other abilities.The six government employees were asked to.
A. arrest the students who work late at night |
B. reward citizens who turn in violators |
C. conduct a survey among students |
D. prevent students from studying too late |
In Paragraph 3 toothbrushes and printing presses are mentioned in order to.
A. tell us that they were invented in Asia |
B. show that hagwons play an important role in people’s daily life |
C. show that private tutoring has a long history |
D. tell us that civil service exams are of equal importance as them |
What can be concluded from the passage?
A. Hagwons are the source of South Korea’s educational problem. |
B. Students in South Korea don’t learn efficiently. |
C.It is the teachers and headmasters who are to blame for the educational problem. |
D. Private tutoring is not common in Singapore. |
The main point of the last paragraph is that.
A. it is very difficult to get rid of hagwons |
B. the causes of hagwons have been found |
C. teachers will have a hard time because of the reforms |
D. the government is determined to reform the present education system |
It is often said that you cannot “teach an old dog new tricks”, but three New Zealand dogs have decided to prove otherwise
by learning a skill—driving a car!
What’s even more impressive is that the three who have become skilled in just eight weeks are not special dogs that belong to some rich owners, but abandoned ones at New Zealand’s SPCA.
To get their training started, 10-month-old Porter, 18-month-old Monty and one-year-old Ginny were selected from a pool of seven potential candidates and moved to Animal Q, a talent agency that teaches animals tricks for movies and television shows.
The driving classes began with teaching the dogs some basic driving techniques like turning the steering wheels(方向盘)and applying the brakes. After that the dogs practiced everything they had learnt behind the wheels of a motorized(装上发动机的)car. Then finally, it was time for the big test-driving a real car!
Human cars are not really built for four-legged animals, so the car they drove was adjusted so that the dogs could sit comfortably and easily reach the steering wheel with their paws.
Though they all seemed to do very well, the real test came on Monday night when Monty, the best driver of the three, showed his great driving skill on live television.
Why would the SPCA go through so much trouble to highlight the skills of homeless dogs? The reason is to show that adopting a dog from a shelter does not mean owners are getting a pet that is worse than one purchased from a keeper. The CEO of the SPCA is hoping that this unusual event will be enough to convince the residents of New Zealand to consider them, when searching for a pet. We surely hope so, meanwhile we are almost certain that these three pioneers have at least landed their names in the Guinness World Records, creating a category that probably does not even exist today!Who do the three dogs belong to?
A. Some rich owners. | B. Animal Q. |
C. A shelter. | D. A zoo. |
The car the dogs drove was adjusted.
A. because it was too big for the dogs to drive |
B. because it had no steering wheels and brakes |
C. to ensure the dogs could sit comfortably and drive easily |
D. to motorize the car and turn it to be a real one |
Why does the SPCA decide to teach the three dogs to learn to drive a car?
A. To prove old dogs can learn new tricks. |
B. To teach them performing tricks for movies and television shows. |
C. To provide amusing performances for homeless children. |
D. To encourage people to adopt the abandoned dogs. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A. A new Guinness category for driving dogs will probably be created. |
B. Abandoned dogs are much cleverer than house-kept ones. |
C. All the dogs at New Zealand’s SPCA will soon be adopted. |
D. New Zealand has the most homeless dogs among all countries. |
People are being tricked into Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules early on you keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook. You could create your own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many things; your city, your photo, your friends’ names were set, by default (默认)to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information. They have a “less satisfying experience.
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them. At the side of the pages totally, who wants to took at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning,which is why I’m considering cancelling my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That’s too high a price to pay.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A.It is a website that sends messages to users who want to get married. |
B.It earns money by putting on advertisements. |
C.It makes money by selling its users’ personal data. |
D.It provides loads of information to its users. |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A.They are unwilling to give up their personal information. |
B.They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook. |
C.They don’t identify themselves when using the website. |
D.They care very little about their personal information. |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A.To provide better service to its users. |
B.To obey the Federal guidelines. |
C.To improve its users’ connection |
D.To expand its business. |
Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A.He is dissatisfied with its present service. |
B.He finds many of its users untrustworthy. |
C.He doesn’t want his personal data badly used. |
D.He is upset by its frequent rule changes. |
Swim Birthday Parties
Ages 3 and up.
Pool parties are during recreation swim in the 25-yard pool. Each party consists of an hour of celebration in a private room. Parties are for 1—5 children. All non-swimmers or children requiring floatation must be at arm’s length from the pool and accompanied by an adult or guardian.
Please contact Sarah Hagan 762—8384x210.
Fee: Members $ 175/Non-members $225
Youth Fitness Birthday Parties
Leave the party activities to us! Your party package includes:1/2 hour set-up,1 hour program time including equipment,props,etc.1 hour party time for cake,presents,etc.,1/2 hour clean-up time and 1 or 2 hours specialists. Parents supply decorations, food and paper goods. To schedule a Youth Fitness Birthday Party, call Mary Ann Genuario (x282).
Fee: $295 for up to 10 children,$10 each additional child—16 children maximum. Non-member price available upon request.
The Art Spot Birthday Parties
The Art Spot offers a variety of creative fine art parties for Ages 4—Adult! We supply the invitations, a balloon bouquet(花束), paper goods, project materials and a party host; all you need to bring is the cake!
Parties are one and a half hours, the first hour the group create their art project, and last 1/2 hour is for cake and presents! Parties are usually held on Friday nights and weekends but weekday parties are available.
Cost: $21 per child.
Rain or shine there’s no better place than the Art Spot for your child’s next party!
Nursery School Birthday Parties
If planning a party is not your thing, let us do the work for you! We offer a variety of pre-planned parties to choose from. You may also do a combination of 2 parties for boy/ girl parties. All parties are on Saturday afternoons between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and are one and a half hours in length. Parties include a craft or activity and paper goods. You may arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time to set-up. To schedule a party please contact Kim Murphy(x214).
Fee(Up to 15 children):$200 Members/ $250 Non-member,$15 each additional child.The phrase “be at arm’s length” probably means“______________”.
A.be as careful as possible | B.be as long as an arm |
C.be as near as possible | D.be as faraway as possible |
If 12 children take part in Youth Fitness Birthday Parties, they will pay ____________.
A.$ 455 | B.$315 |
C.$ 200 | D.$250 |
If your child joins in the Art Spot Birthday Parties, he will.
A.swim in the 25-yard pool |
B.spend half an hour to clean up |
C.create his own art project |
D.do activities with other kids |
What information can you get from the passage?
A.You can schedule the party when it is convenient for you. |
B.The number of people for these parties is limited. |
C.You need to bring nothing to join in the birthday parties. |
D.All of these birthday parties center on a special theme. |