The Clockwork Radio
The British inventor Trevor Baylis created this really clever ′wind-up radio′ for people from Third World countries. in some parts of the Third World countries, it’s very hard for people to get or pay for enough energy. This radio uses no batteries (电池) and does not need any electricity to run it. A clockwork generator (发电机) is put inside the radio and works as the power. When it is fully wound up (上弦), the radio can work for long periods.
The clock work product is not a new invention. The Victorians had already put it in wide use. We may find them used in toys as well. Then what is new about this clockwork radio? Baylis has used this simple but effective (高效的) way of creating electricity to both help the people of the Third World and to develop a product which is selling well in Western Europe.
Even former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandella has one of these radios and personally recommends this product to others. What does the clockwork radio use to run it?
| A．Batteries. | B．Electricity. |
| C．A clockwork generator. | D．Wind power. |
The Third World countries are in the world.
| A．the rich countries | B．the poor countries |
| C．Western European | D．Victorian countries |
Which sentence is true according to the passage?
| A．the clockwork radio can work for only a short period of time. |
| B．Trevor Baylis created the world’s first clockwork product. |
| C．The clockwise radio is also a toy for people of the Third World. |
| D．Nelson Mandella owns one of the clockwork radios. |
When I was young，I liked to play jokes on people I knew, especially on my parents and friends. One day my mother was cooking and I was playing with my younger brother Tony. Suddenly I ran to my mother and said: “Tony fell from the open window!” She was very worried and ran out of the kitchen. Then I said: “Don’t worry, I’m just joking.” My mother shouted at me, “If you do it again, I’ll hit you.”
Another day I went swimming with my friends in the sea. I wanted to play a joke on them. In the beginning I swam fast and I called out “Help!”. All my friends came to help me. However, they found that I was joking. But half an hour later I wasn’t joking. I was so fast, soon I got tired and couldn’t swim on in water. I tried my best to call my friends for help, but this time nobody came to help me.
In the end they found I was telling the truth. They came and saved my life. They took me to the hospital. This is the best lesson in my life. From then on I haven’t joked on anyone.When he was young, the writer liked to _______.
| A．play with his brother | B．help his mother cook |
| C．play jokes on people | D．go swimming with his friends |
What happened when the writer was playing with his brother? ______
| A．He got tired. | B．He played a joke on his mother. |
| C．Tony fell from the open window. | D．His mother hit him. |
In the beginning, all his friends came to help him because he ______.
| A．swam fast | B．called for help |
| C．would sink in water | D．couldn’t swim on in the water |
When the writer called his friends for help for the second time, they ______.
| A．took him to the hospital at once |
| B．came and saved him immediately |
| C．thought at first he was joking again |
| D．did nothing because the writer had lied to them |
The story tells us that ________.
| A．swimming is dangerous |
| B．the writer is a naughty boy |
| C．one can play jokes only on people he knows |
| D．if someone always tells lies, others won’t trust (信任) him |
A few days ago, I ran into (撞上) a stranger as he passed by. I said sorry to him, and he said, “Excuse me too, I wasn’t even watching for you.” We were very polite, this stranger and I. Then we went on our way after saying goodbye.
Later in the kitchen at home, as I cooked our meal, my daughter Betty walked up to me, very quietly. When I turned around (转身), I nearly knocked her down. “Get out of the way!” I shouted angrily. She ran away, crying.
That night, when I lay in bed, my husband said to me, “You were so rude to Betty. Go and look around on the kitchen floor, and you’ll find some flowers there. Betty brought those for you. She picked them herself ¾ pink, yellow, and your favourite blue.”
When I heard this, I thought deeply: “While meeting with a stranger, I was calm and polite; but with my daughter, I was not patient (耐心的). I felt sad and tears began to fall.
I quietly went to Betty’s bed, “Wake up, my dear,” I said, “Are these the flowers you picked for me?” She smiled, “t found them by the tree. I knew you’d like them, especially the blue.” I said, “I am so sorry that I treated (对待) you that way today.” And she whispered (悄声说), “Mommy, that’s okay ¾ I still love you anyway.” I kissed her and said, “I love you too and I do love the flowers.”
That day Betty gave me a lesson on how to get along with each other in the family. I spent much time on work before and didn’t realize how important family life was. I decided to do better in the future.The writer ___________ to a stranger when she ran into him.
When the writer nearly knocked Betty down, she _________ at her.
The writer’s ______ told her Betty had picked those flowers for her.
The writer felt sad and began to cry because ___________.
The writer decided to ___________.
Dubai is a city of big business, expensive hotels, skyscrapers (摩天楼), and shopping malls. In the early 20th century, Dubai was a successful trading port. People from the world stopped in Dubai to do business. But it was still a small city, and most people lived as fishermen and businessmen. Then in 1966, oil was discovered. This brought a lot of money into the area, and soon Dubai began to change.
Today Dubai is one of the world’s most important business centers. In fact, each year the city gels its money mainly from business, not oil.
Recently Dubai has attracted more and more visitors from abroad. They come to relax on its beaches, and every year, millions visit just to go shopping!
Dubai is also one of the world’s fastest growing cities. Many tall buildings are built in months. The city also has many man-made islands. One of these, the Palm Jumeirah, is like a palm tree (棕桐树) and is very beautiful.
The city is still an amazing mix (混合体) of people from different countries. The people from 150 countries live and work in Dubai, and foreigners now outnumber Dubai natives ( 本地人) by eight to one!
Many people welcome the city’s growth. But an increasing number of Dubai natives worry about the speed of change. As a Dubai native says, “We must always remember where we came from. Our kids must know we worked very, very hard to get where we are now, and there’s a lot more work to do.”Why did people stop in Dubai in the early 20th century?
| A．To relax | B．To buy oil. |
| C．To go shopping. | D．To do business. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Dubai has created many man-made islands.
B. There are many foreigners working in Dubai.
C Many international visitors come to Dubai every year
D. Dubai now gets money mainly from selling oil.What does the underlined word “outnumber” mean?
| A．To be smaller in size than another group. |
| B．To be more in number than another group. |
| C．To be bigger in area than another group. |
| D．To be smaller in area than another group. |
In the last paragraph, what does the underlined part mean?
| A．We should always visit Dubai, |
| B．We should learn from foreigners. |
| C．We must always remember our past. |
| D．We must only think about the future. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Dubai is growing very fast. |
| B．Dubai was a big city before 1966. |
| C．Many tall buildings are built in months. |
| D．Many tourists come to relax on Dubai’s beaches. |
Every morning my father buys a newspaper on his way to work. Every evening my mother looks through magazines at home. And every night, I look at the posters with photos of David Beckham and Yao Ming on my bedroom wall before I go to sleep. Can we imagine life without paper or print?
Paper was first created about 2,000 years ago, and has been made from silk, cotton, bamboo, and, since the 19th century, from wood. People learned to write words on paper to make a book. But in those days, books could only be produced one at a time by hand. As a result, they were expensive and rare. And because there weren’t many hooks, few people learned to read.
Then printing was invented in China. When printing was developed greatly at the beginning of the 11th century, books could be produced more quickly and cheaply. As a result, more people learned to read. After that, knowledge and ideas spread quickly.
Today information can be received online, downloaded from the Internet rather than found in books, and information can be kept on CD-ROMs or machines such as MP3 players.
Computers are already used in classrooms, and newspapers and magazines can already be read online. So will books be replaced by computers one day? No, I don’t think the Yao Ming poster on my bedroom wall will ever be replaced by a computer two metres high!What does the writer do before he goes to sleep’?
| A．He reads books. | B．He reads newspapers |
| C．He looks through magazines | D．He looks at the posters on the wall. |
When was paper first created?
| A．About 2.000 years ago. | B．In the 19th century. |
| C．About 1.000 years ago. | D．In the 11th century. |
Why were books expensive and rare before the invention of printing?
A. People could not read.
B. People could not write words on paper.
C. People could not find silk, cotton or bamboo.
D People could only produce books one at a time by handWhat happened after books became cheaper?
| A．People didn’t want to buy books. |
| B．Printing was invented in China. |
| C．Knowledge and ideas spread quickly. |
| D．The Internet was introduced to people soon |
What is the writer’s opinion about books and computers’?
| A．People won’t need books any more |
| B．Books won’t be replaced by computers. |
| C．People prefer to find information in books. |
| D．Computers have already replaced books. |
My grandfather Jack is 96 years old, and he has had an interesting life. He has travelled a lot in his life in the Far East. He visited the Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids in Egypt. He hunted (狩猎) lions in Africa, and rode a camel in the Sahara Desert. He says the most beautiful place he has travelled to is Kathmandu in Nepal.
Jack has married twice. His first wife died when she was 32. He met his second wife Maria while he was cycling round France They have been married for 50 years, and they have lived happily in a small village since they got married.
Jack says that he has never been ill in his life. The secret of good health, according to my grandfather, is exercise He goes swimming every morning. He has done this since he was a boy. He also has a glass of wine every night! Perhaps that is his secret!What kind of life has Jack lived?
| A．A short life. | B．An interesting life. |
| C．A lonely life | D．A poor life. |
Which of the following does Jack think is the most beautiful place?
| A．Kathmandu. | B．The Pyramids |
| C．The Sahara Desert. | D．Taj Mahal |
How many times has Jack married?
| A．Once. | B．Twice. | C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
Where did Jack meet Maria?
| A．In India. | B．In Nepal. | C．In France | D．in Egypt. |
What does Jack do every night?
| A．He has a glass of wine. | B．He goes swimming |
| C．He hunts lions. | D．He rides a camel. |