In China, most people ride bikes to school,or to work,or to places where they want to go.So China is called “kingdom of bicycles”.
But Americans are a people on the wheel.Wherever you go, you will see cars.There are so many cars that there is a traffic jam here and there.Now, more and more Americans would not consider it a healthy way of life.In fact, many Americans are strongly against the advancement of the wheel.We should encourage people to use less cars to save our environment and the energy.
Everyone wants to reduce pollution.But the pollution problem is very serious.People drive cars and the waste gas from them causes air pollution.On the other hand, the need for energy increases every day, and some sources of energy are running out. Oil will last for no more than 40 years, while coal could last another 300 years.The way we’re heading is towards a world where people are going to go cold and hungry.Now in China many rich men live away from downtown.On holidays they go to some big cities and places of interest.Most of them use their own cars.But China is a country with a population of over 1.3 billion.So, if you have enough money in the future,what will you do?According to the passage, most Chinese people go to school or work by_________.
A.bike | B.bus | C.train | D.plane |
In America, you will see _________ everywhere.
A.bikes | B.cars | C.oil | D.coal |
The waste gas from cars causes_________.
A.air pollution | B.traffic jams |
C.waste of money | D.energy problems |
The end of the last paragraph suggests that_________.
A.Americans should give up their cars |
B.the energy should be saved around the world |
C.Chinese shouldn’t become a people on the wheel |
D.rich Chinese shouldn’t use their own cars in China |
Every country has its heroes. The heroes are the people the nation and especially the young people admire. If you get a list of the heroes of a nation, it will tell you the potential(潜势)of that nation.
If today in America, you ask the high school students to list their heroes, their choice would probably fall into three groups. The first group of heroes would be the rock stars —the people connected with rock music. There is no doubt that such people do have talent but one wonders if one should hold up rock stars as a model (推举…为榜样). The rock stars too often are involved with drugs and their personal life is not all that good. The rock stars are rich and wear the latest fashion styles. However, one should seek more in a hero than such things as money and good clothes.
A second type of hero for the American youth is the sports star. Again you have a person who has a great ability in one area — SPORTS. However, too often the personal life of the sports star is a bit of a mess. Too frequently drugs and drinking are a part of life of the sports star.
A third type of hero is the TV or movie star. This person may have lots of acting talent and is quite handsome. However, the personal life of too many actors is quite sad and they should not be held up as a model for young people.
Today, the rock star, the athlete and the actor all have become the models of the youth in America. Really, do you hear a young person say that his hero is a doctor, a teacher, or a scientist? These people are not rich and do not wear fashionable clothes. However, they are talented people who work hard to make the world a better place for everyone.
What is really sad is that the young try to imitate their heroes. They like to wear the same clothes and follow their styles. If the heroes of today for the American youngsters are only rock stars, athletes and actors, the future does not look too bright.The hero discussed in this article means a person ______.
A.who has done something brave |
B.who plays an important role in a play |
C.whom people greatly admire |
D.who rides the waves and moves with the tides |
What is true of the groups mentioned in this article?
A.They are not fright but are good-looking. |
B.They are rich but are strict with themselves. |
C.They are talented in some area but lead an indecent life. |
D.They are perfect in every way. |
American young people will not admire ______.
A.a university professor | B.a popular singer |
C.a football player | D.a film actress |
According to the writer, people should hold up as their model those______.
A.who are rich and wear the latest fashion clothes |
B.whose personal life is good |
C.who can express people’s feelings |
D.who work in the interests (利益) of the people |
There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her.
One day, feeling very sad and lonely, she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn (荆棘) bush. The young girl carefully released the butterfly. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“For your wonderful kindness,” the good fairy said to the girl, “I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, “I want to be happy.”
The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the little girl grew up, there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness .She would only smile and answer, “The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”
When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all gathered around her, and feared that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us, please,” they begged, “Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, “She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me.”______ the girl felt sad and lonely.
A.There were many friends but |
B.There was nobody to love her so |
C.There was nothing to do |
D.Seeing the butterfly was caught |
Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn, the orphan girl ______.
A.helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn |
B.felt sorrow,but she didn’t go up to help it |
C.fell down on it too |
D.failed to help it release from the thorn |
The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.
A.to be rich | B.to have her own parents |
C.to have a lot of friends | D.happiness |
The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying, because ______.
A.they loved this woman deeply and they didn’t wanted her to die |
B.the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died |
C.they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness |
D.they wanted to pray for her after her death |
If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________
A. provide some key facts about Confucius |
B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
C.show great respect for the ancient thinker |
D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______
A. have a great interest in studying Chinese |
B.take an active part in Chinese competitions |
C.try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
D.fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passge?
A.Forgotten Wisdom in America |
B.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
C.Chinese Culture for Westerners |
D.Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in ___________.
A.a biography |
B.a history paper |
C.a newspaper |
D.a philosophy textbook |
Astronauts on shorter shuttle missions(使命)often work very long days. Tasks are scheduled so tightly that break times are often used to finish the day’s work. This type of schedule is far too demanding for long missions on the International Space Station(ISS). ISS crewmembers usually live in space for at least a quarter of a year. They work five days on and two days off to mimic the normal way they do things on Earth as much as possible . Weekends give the crew valuable. Weekends give the crew valuable time to rest and do a few hours of housework. They can communicate with family and friends by email , internet phone and through Private video conferences.
While astronauts cannot go to a baseball game or a movie in orbit, there are many familiar activities that they can still enjoy . Before a mission. The family and friends of each ISS crewmember put together a collection of family photos, messages, videos and reading material for
The astronauts to look at when they will be floating 370 kilometers above the Earth. During their mission, the crew also receives care packages with CDs, books, magazines, photos and letters . And as from early 2010, the internet became available on the ISS , giving astronauts the chance to do some “web surfing (冲浪)”in their personal time. Besides relaxing with these more common entertainments, astronauts can simply enjoy the experience of living in space.
Many astronauts say that one of the most relaxing things to do in space is to look out the window and stare at the universe and the Earth’s vast land mass and oceans. What does the word “mimic ”in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Find | B. Copy |
C.Change | D.Lose |
Which of the following best describes the families of the astromauts on the ISS ?
A. The are caring and thoughtful. |
B. The are impatient and annoyed. |
C. The are impatient and annoyed. |
D. The are excited and curious. |
In the final paragraph, the author shows that astronauts .
A. get more pleasure in space than on the Earth |
B. find living in space a bit boring and tiring |
C. regard space life as common |
D. love to see the Earth from space |
The passage mainly discusses how astronauts .
A. work for longer missions in space |
B. connect with people on the Earth |
C. observe the Earth from space |
D. spend their free time in space |
Mini Book Excerpts(节选)
Biography
When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land , the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.
J. D. Salinger:A Life by Kenneth Slawenski(Random House,$27)
Mystery(疑案小说)
"You're a smart boy. Benny's death was no accident, and you're the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it ? "The boy was starting stubbornly at his lap again.
A thought suddenly occurred to Annika ,"Did you …You recognized the man in the car , didn't you?"
The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers ,"Maybe ,"he said quietly.
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund(Atria Books, $25. 99)
Short Stories
She wants to say to him what she has learned , none of it in class. Some women are borm stupid,and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give ,and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers,some who they don't want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won't. Some mothers love so their daughters won't.
You Are Free by Danzy Senna (Riverhead Books,$15)
Humor
Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times! 's "amusement cycling "is the most fun you can have , legally , in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half to that within a day's drive lf most cities?
Happy And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle(Ecco,$14. 99)
1. |
If the readers want to know about the life of Salinger , they should buy the book published by.
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2. |
The book Happy: And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for.
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3. |
Which book describes women with characters of their own?
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4. |
After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that.
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