OnChristmasmorning,IwenttotheC-优题课

Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system．And that’s not a11．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming withSingapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly
to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beiling in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the
World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on
domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital
investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countnes．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．
1．China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ____________．
A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D． the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism
2．According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is____________．
A．technical issues B．safety of the system
C．financial problems D．maintenance of railway tracks
3.Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed
railway plan?
A．Critical． B．Reserved． C．Doubtful D. Positive．
4．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．New Railway Standards B．Big Railway Dreams
C．High—speed Bullet Trains D．International Railway Network

It is reported that conservation groups in North America have been arguing about the benefits and dangers of wolves. Some groups believe wolves should be killed. Other people believe wolves
Must be protected so that they will not disappear from the wilderndss(荒野)
For Killing Wolves
In Alaska，the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago，because hunters were killing hundreds
0f them forsport .However．1aws were established to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur．So the woIf population has greatly increased. Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply．
A wolf naturally eats animals in the deer family. People in the wilderness also hunt deer for
food．Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the wilderness plant life．When the deer can’t find enough food，they die．
If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer，their prey(猎物)will disappear some
day．And the wolves will．too．So we must change the cycle of life in the wilderness to balance the
ecology．If we killed more wolves，we would save them and their prey from dying out．We’d also
save some farm animals．
In another northern state，wolves attack cows and chickens for food．Farmers want the
government to send biologists to study the problem．They believe it necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small woIf population．
Against Killing Wolves
If you had lived long ago，you would have heard many different stories about the dangerous
wolf．According to most stories，hungry wolves often kill people for food．Even today，the stories of the“big bad woIf'＂will not disappear．
But the fact is wolves are afraid of people．and they seldom travel in areas where there is a
human smell．When wolves eat other animals，they usually kill the very young．or the sick and
injured .The strongest survive .No kind of animal would have survived through the centuries if the
weak members had lived．And has always been a law of nature
Although some people say it is good sense to kill wolves，we say it is nonsense!Researchers
have found wolves and their prey living in balance．The wolves keep the deer population from
becoming too large,and that keeps a balance in the wilderness plant life．
The real problem is that the areas where wolves can live are being used bv people．Even if
wilderness land is not used directly for human needs．the wolves can’t always find enough food .So they travel to the nearest source,which is often a farm．Then there is danger．The“big bad wolf”has arrived! And everyone knows what happens next．
1．According to the passage，some people in North America favor killing wolves for all the following reasons EXCET that_____________．
A．there are too many wolves B．they kill large numbers deer
C．they attack cows and chickens for food D．they destroy the wilderness plant life
2．Some people are against killing wolves because____________．
A．wolves help to keep the ecological balance in the wildemess
B．there is too small a wolf population in the wilderness
C．there are too many deer in the wilderness
D．wolves are afraid of people and never attack people
3．According to those against killing wolves，when wolves eat other animals，____________．
A．they never eat strong and healthy ones
B．they always go against the law of nature
C．they might help this kind of animals survive in nature
D．they disturb the ecological balance in the wilderness
4．The last sentence“And everyone knows what happens next”implies that in such cases____________．
A．farm animals will be in danger and have to be shipped away
B．woIves will kill people and people will in turn kill them
C．wolves wilI find enough food sources on famls
D．people will leave the areas where wolves can live

第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
1. Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
A. Places where people lived. B. People’s characters.
C. Talents that people possessed. D. People’s occupations.
2. According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.
A. owned or drove a cart B. made things with metals
C. made kitchen tools or contains D. built houses and furniture
3. Suppose and English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.
A. Beatrice Smith B. Leonard Carter
C. George Longstreet D. Donald Greenwood
4. The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _____
A. later generations B. friends and relatives
C. colleagues and partners D. later sponsors

BORDER
CROSSINGS
While there are no restrictions on zhe amount of money that you can bring
across the border.you must report to both the US and Canadian border
services amounts equal to or greater than $10.000.
PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS（免税）ON PURCHASES
AMERICANS RETURNING TO THE US
Less than 48 hours: $ 200 US
48 hours or more: $ 800 US duty-free personal exemption.
next $ 1.000 US at 3%
Including up to 100 cigars and 100 cigarettes.
CANADIANS RETURNING TO CANADA
Less than 24 hours: $ 50 CAN
48 hours or more: $ 400 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
7 days or more: $ 750 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR
BORDER CROSSING
LAND OR SEA TO THE US(INCLUDING FERRIES)
A valid passport or passport card, or a NEXUS card.
(A NEXUS card is a Tru

sted Traveler Program that provides quick travel for
pre-approved,low risk travelers through special lanes.)
A recent Washington State, New York or BC driver's license.
Note: Ch

ildren 15 years of age and younger require only a birth certificate or
copy.(Certified copies are not required but are advised.)
AIR TRAVEL TO THE US
A valid passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant
Marine Document.

1．	If a Canadian who is on a 7-day trip to New York buys $ 800 CAN worth of goods,how much should he pay tax on when returning home?（） A. $ 800 CAN B. $750 CAN C.$ 400 CAN D. $ 50 CAN

2．	For an American citizen on a 2-day tour of Canada,how much tax does he have to pay on $ 1.600 US worth of purchases when returning to the US?（） A. $ 24 US B. $ 48 US C. $52 US D. $ 200 US

3．

What documentation should a couple with a 7-year-old child carry when they drive a car from Canada to America?（）

A. A BC driver's license, an Air NEXUS card, and a birth certificate.

B. An Air NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a birth certificate.

C.Two vaild passport crads and a certified copy of a birth certificate.

D. A NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document.,and a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Pacing and Pausing

Sara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.

Conversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara.

It may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.

The general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping (思维定式). And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in--and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.

That's why slight differences in conversational style--tiny little things like microseconds of pause-can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems---even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.

1．

What did Sara think of Betty when talking with her?

A．	Betty was talkative.
B．	Betty was an interrupter.
C．	Betty did not take her turn.
D．	Betty paid no attention to Sara.

2．

According to the passage, who are likely to expect the shortest pauses between turns?

A．

Americans.

B．

Israelis.

C．

The British.

D．

The Finns.

3．

We can learn from the passage that

A．	communication breakdown results from short pauses and fast pacing
B．	women are unfavorably stereotyped in eastern cities of the US
C．	one's inability to speak up is culturally determined sometimes
D．	one should receive training to build up one's confidence

4．

The underlined word "assertiveness" in the last paragraph probably means

A．	being willing to speak one's mind
B．	being able to increase one's power
C．	being ready to make one's own judgment
D．	being quick to express one's ideas confidently

A．A Piece of Lucky Feather	B．A Surprise Christmas Gift
C．The Boring Shopping Experience	D．The Unforgettable Big Hug