Mexico City is truly one of the most amazing cities in the world with a mixture of both the old and new world. From the moment your plane starts to descend into this vast city, you know that your trip will be quite an adventure.
Once in your taxi and the moment you leave the airport, you are amazed at the large amount of slow traffic. The volume of the traffic can be stressful to some.
The "Paseo de la Reforma(改革大道)", running southwest across the city, is one of the major tourist and business areas in Mexico City with many high quality hotels only walking distance from great restaurants and other tourist attractions. The only problem you will have is trying to see all of these sites during your vacation time.
One of the most popular attractions in this area is the National Museum of Anthropology along the northwest part of the street. There are thousands of artifacts on display showing the history of the area and numerous items found from the many Aztec sites in the area. Walking southwest from the museum, you will soon reach the Mexico City Zoo, which is a great place to spend an afternoon.
Across the street from the museum is the Chapultepec Castle, once an important site in the Mexican-American war. It's also a good idea to take the train up the hill to where the castle is located as the hill is steep. It's important to keep in mind that Mexico City is over 7,000 feet above sea level and some feel it difficult to breathe when walking.
You can take a taxi to the Coyoacan market during the evening on a weekend. It's a great place to get some cheap souvenirs to bring back home and to enjoy some traditional Mexican cuisine. However, you must be careful where you eat and that the meat is well cooked.The tourists in Mexico City may not be satisfied with______.
A.the high speed of the traffic | B.the heavy traffic of the city |
C.the polluted air in the city | D.their safety in the city |
From the third paragraph, we can learn that______.
A.the number of the city attractions can't meet the needs of the tourists |
B.it is convenient for tourists to visit the city from where they stay |
C.tourists have problems when visiting the sites in Mexico City |
D.tourists often have their three meals in the high quality hotels |
Which of the following shows the correct positions of the following places?
P =" Paseo" de la Reforma M =" the" National Museum of Anthropology
C =" the" Chapultepec Castle Z =" the" Mexico City ZooWhich of the following attractions may interest those who want to study the military (of thearmy) history of Mexico City?
A.The National Museum of Anthropology. | B.The Coyoacan market. |
C.The Chapultepec Castle. | D.The Aztec sites. |
A proverb(谚语) is a short 、well-known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Proverbs are popular around the world. Many proverbs give advice on how to live. Some proverbs are hundreds of years old, but they are still used today.
For example, my son is just like his father in many ways. We often say the two of them prove the proverb that the apple does not fall far from the tree.
My daughter is very short. She would like to be taller. But I tell her that good things come in small packages. Some valuable things are very small, like diamonds and other jewels. But I also tell my children that all that glitters is not gold. Something may look valuable, but may not really be valuable. Also, I tell them do not judge a book by its cover. You should not judge something only by its appearance.
Sometimes I tell my children to cooperate to solve a problem. After all, two heads are better than one. But another proverb says too many cooks spoil (弄坏) the soup. If too many people try to do something, then the job will not be done well.
I also tell my children that two wrongs do not make a right. You should not do something bad just because someone did the same to you.
Some people are pessimists while other people are optimists(乐观派). Pessimists always think about how bad things are or will be; optimists might say that every cloud has a silver lining(衬里) and they always look on the bright side. Other people are both pessimists and optimists. They hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Some people often worry about what they will do in a situation that might happen in the future. We could tell them do not cross that bridge until you come to it.
It is usually much better to prevent a problem from happening than to find ways to solve it. So we say an ounce(盎司) of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
1. The author often comforts(安慰) her daughter with the proverb that ____.
A. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
B. Good things come in small packages
C. Too many cooks spoil the soup
D. Two heads are better than one
2. If someone says “two heads are better than one”, he means____.
A. jobs will be done better if two work together
B. a problem will be solved easily by many people
C. jobs won’t be done well if there are too many people
D. you can’t do something bad even if someone else does it
3. The underlined word “pessimists” in the sixth paragraph refers to those people_____.
A. who always look on the bright side
B. who always expect bad things to happen
C. who are always full of hope for the future
D. who always make preparations for the worst
4. Which of the following are optimists likely to say?
A. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
B. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst
C. Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.
D. Every cloud has a silver lining
The following are the world-renewed attractions(迷人地方) in London, so don’t miss them while touring there.
Shakespeare’s Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe, which officially opened in 1997, is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, built in 1599, and brings Shakespeare’s world to life. As a visitor to the exhibition you’ll discover how shows were produced in the theatres during Shakespeare’s time. The guide-storytellers take you on a fascinating half-hour tour.
Price: Adult £9.00;Child(5-15) £6.50; Student £7.50; Under 5 FREE.
The Tower of London
The tower, nearly 100 feet high, with walls 15 feet thick, was built in the early 1080s. King Henry Ⅲ made this tower his home. King Edward V and his
younger brother were murdered inside by their uncle. Queen Elizabeth I was shut up in the tower for two months by her half sister Mary who felt that her throne(王位)was being threatened(威胁). In 1603, part of the tower became a museum.
Price: Adult £16.50; Child (5-15) £9.50; Under 5 FREE; Student £13.50; Family (two adults with three children) £46.00.
Banqueting(宴会) House
Banqueting House is the remains of Whitehall Palace which was built in 1529 and was home to the English kings. It was destroyed by fire. Famous for its architecture and painting, the building is also known for being the scene(地点) of Charles I’s execution(处决)。
Price: Adult £4.50; Child £2.25; Student (with ID) and senior citizen (60+) £3.00; Under 5 FREE.
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the world. At the Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy breath-taking views from the high-level walkways and learn about the history of the bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian engine rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the bridge.
Price: Adult£6.00; Child (5-15) £3.00; Under 5 FREE; Senior citizen(60+) £4.50; Student£4.50.
1. Which of the following places has the longest history?
A. Whitehall Palace. B. The Globe Theatre.
C. The Tower of London. D. Tower Bridge.
2. If two parents with their 4-year-old son visit the Tower of London, they should pay .
A. £33 B. £43 C. £46 D. £52
3. Queen Elizabeth I was shut up in the tower for two months by Mary mainly because .
A. Mary didn’t like her ]
B. she tried to steal Mary’s treasure
C. Mary feared she would become the Queen
D. she intended to murder Mary
4. How many places used as a king’s home are mentioned in this passage?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four.
Life is difficult.
But life is no longer difficult once we truly understand and accept it.
Most don’t fully see this truth. Instead, they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that their difficulties stand for a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or upon their family, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is painful. Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, loneliness, regret, anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings , often as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems , life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells success from failure .When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said,“Those things that hurt, instruct(teach).” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
1. From the passage, it can be inferred that______.
A. not everybody has problems.
B. We become stronger by facing and solving problems in life.
C. life is difficult because our problems bring us pain.
D. people like to complain about their problems.
2. The writer uses just one short sentence in the first paragraph probably to _______.
A. save space B. persuade readers
C. make readers laugh D. get readers’ attention
3. According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to ______.
A. encourage them to learn B. make them suffer
C. help them to deal with pain D. help them to understand life is difficult
4. By“Those things that hurt, instruct(teach).” Benjamin Franklin
suggests that_____.
A.we don’t learn from experience
B.we don’t learn when we are in pain
C.pain teaches us important lessons
D.pain is unforgetable.
At 3:30 a.m. Pearl Carlson was shaken awake by a forceful pull. King, the family dog, was trying to pull her out of bed.Then she smelled smoke and heard the sound of fire from her parent's room. Pearl's screams awaked her mother, Fern and father, Howard, who had recently been in hospital for lung disease. Helping Howard to a first-floor window, Fern told him to climb out, then ran to her daughter.
Still inside, King appeared at Pearl's window, making squeaking (短促尖叫) sounds. When running toward Pearl's bedroom, Fern realized her husband hadn't yet escaped. She made her way back through the smoke and flames, following King's sound to where Howard lay semiconscious (半昏迷) on the floor. Fern helped him get outside. King came out only after both were safe.
As day dawned, the Carlsons saw that King's paws were badly burned, and his entire body was burned too. His chain collar had gotten so hot that it burned his throat, making it impossible for him to bark (叫) normally. Only after the seven-year-old dog refused food did they find pieces of wood in his mouth and realize that King, who slept outside, had bitten through a wood door to warn his family.
1. Who was King in this story?
A. The family sore B. The family daughter.
C. The family dog. D. The master.
2. According to the story, the first one who was completely out of danger could be .
A. Howard B. Fern C. Pearl and Fern D. Pearl
3. After reading this story, we've learnt that the following statements could be reasonable except .
A. the dog made a big hole in the door
B. the dog awoke mother first
C. the dog was the last one to escape from the burning room
D. the dog was badly burned , hurt and not able to eat
4. From this story it can be inferred that .
A. Pearl loves her parents very much
B. Howard is the best man of the family
C. the woman loves her children more deeply than her husband
D. the dog is man's best friend
三.阅读理解:(20×2.5=50分)
People have smoked cigarettes for a long time. The tobacco used to make cigarettes was grown in what is now part of the United States. Christopher Columbus, who discovered America, saw the Indians smoking, and soon the dried leaves were transported to Europe where smoking began to catch on. In the late 1800s, the Turk(土耳其人) made cigarettes even popular.
Cigarettes smoke contains at least two harmful substances, tar and nicotine. Tar, which forms as the tobacco burns, damages the lungs and therefore affects breathing. Nicotine, which is found in the leaves, causes the heart to beat faster and increases breathing rate.
Smoking cigarettes is dangerous. The U.S. Public Health Service stated that cigarette smoking is the cause of lung cancers and several other deadly diseases. The U.S. government now requires that each package of cigarettes bear(带有)a special warning about the danger of smoking.
1. The expression “catch on” in the passage may mean _________.
A. start B. cost a lot C. become popular D. dangerous
2. Before Columbus discovered America __________.
A. Europeans had smoked B. Nobody smoked in the world
C. Nicotine was not in tobacco D. Europeans had never smoked
3. In the nineteenth century smoking became popular because of the people in ________.
A. India B. Turkey C. the U.S. D. British
4. Breathing is affected by ___________.
A. nicotine B. tar C. heat D. both A and B