Passage 2
Dear Linda,
I have been in England three months now. I hope you don't think I've forgotten you. There have been so many places to see and so many things to do that I've not had much time for writing letters.
I shall soon be starting my studies at King's College. So far I've been learning about England and British ways of living. I won't tell you about London. There are plenty of books you can read and plenty of pictures you can look at. I'm sure you'll be more interested to know what I think about the life here.
I find some of the customs (风俗) new and interesting. People here do not shake hands as much as we do in Europe. During the first few weeks I was often surprised because people did not put out their hands when I met them. Men raise their hats to women but not to each other.
Yours,
AliceThe writer came to London from _________.
A. Asia
B. Europe
C. America The writer __________.
A. has never been of England
B. came to England three months ago
C. will come to England in three monthsShe has _________.
A. not written any letters
B. a little time to write letters
C. no time to write letters She came to England to _________.
A. study
B. make a living
C. learn British ways of living Englishmen ___________.
A. do not often shake hands with friends when they meet
B. often shake hands with friends when they meet
C. do not raise their hats to friends when they meet
Garry Golden is a futurist. Futurists are scientists who analyze the way the world is today and use that information.to predict what the world will be like in the future. Golden focuses on the study of transportation. He spends his days studying the relationships between cars, subways, and trains. But he's most excited about imagining the way these relationships will change in the future.
Many public transportation supporters dislike big cities because they spend hours driving from one side of the city to the other. And there aren't enough buses and. subways.
However, Golden sees a trend (趋势) toward fewer cars' in the future. He explains, "Cities have a cost of car ownership, which is a challenge. All these vehicles cost the city in services, in having to repair roads and other things. "Cars also take up a lot of space.
Golden points out that having so many parking spaces is wasteful. Much of the time the parking spaces
sit empty. What is the solution?"I think cities will make new laws to limit the number of cars people can have ，" says Golden. "Instead, people will use taxis, subways, and buses. New technology, like smartphones, can make these forms of public transportation even better. Imagine if everyone had a smartphone and used them to signal(发信号) when they wanted to ride the bus. Buses could change their route(路线) to meet people's requests."
How soon would these changes come? Golden admits that it will take several years. Cities can be slow to change. Also, new systems of transportation can be expensive. "But it's coming," he says. "The trend of the empowered city will be here soon. "
The other trend that excites Golden is electric cars. Golden especially believes in the future of electric cars that have sensors(传感器) to understand the world around them. "If we have cars that can communicate with one another, they can adjust speeds to cut down on traffic jams,"he says. Rush hour in big cities would be much less painful.
One challenge is that it is hard to cheaply produce batteries that are strong enough for these cars. But Golden argues we could, also make cars out of strong plastic composites(合成物). The cars would then be much lighter and much cheaper to make.
Golden remains positive about the future. "There are so many exciting developments ，"he says. "In thirty years we will live a different world. "What does Garry Golden mainly study?
| A．The changes of future transportation |
| B．What cars will be like in the future. |
| C．How the world .is different from today |
| D．The relationships between cars and people. |
Why does Golden see a trend toward fewer cars in the future?
| A．-Because cities-take up a lot of space. |
| B．Because cars cost too much of the city |
| C．Because people prefer to take the subway |
| D．Because roads are sometimes too crowded. |
Which of the following statements is true according to Golden?
| A．New buses will take the place of cars as a way of transportation. |
| B． Electric cars with sensors will be able to put an end to traffic jams. |
| C．Future cars could be lighter because of strong and powerful batteries. |
| D． Future buses can receive signals and change their routes accordingly: |
What is Golden's attitude to the future of transportation?
| A．Uncertain. | B． Worried. |
| C． Hopeful. | D． Careful. |
Are there Harry Porter books in your schooI library? Many kids all over the world are reading J. K. Rowling's books in school. But some parents think their children shouldn't be able to find those and other books in schooI libraries.
Should schooI Iibraries keep books that some parents don't approve of? Should they take those books off the shelves?
All over the country, schools are trying to find solutions to this problem. Read these arguments. Then decide for yourself.
Yes! Some Books Sould Be Banned (禁止) from School Libraries!
"We need certain limits (限定)，"said one student. He said some books have no place in school Iibraries.
Books should meet certain standards before they are put in schooIs. Is this a good book for kids to read? Is it fuII of violence (暴力)? Does it include bad words or ideas kids shouId not learn about? If a book is not good for all kids, it should not be in a schooI Iibrary.
Most parents know what's good for kids. They have a right to decide which books should or should not be in schooI Iibraries. If parents don't have time to find out everything their kids read, they should trust schooIs to do that for them.
No! Books Should Not Be Banned from School Libraries!
"Parents should decide what their own kids read, "said Natalie Nicol, a student. "But other parents shouldn't make that choice for them. "
Many experts say that it's the parents' job, not the schooI's job, to check out what their kids are reading. If they don't Iike a book, they should not let their kids read it.
Why should a few parents stop kids from reading stories like the Harry Potter series? Kids should be able to check out books their parents think are OK to read it.
Many schooIs Iet kids borrow certain books if they have a signed paper from a parent. That works fine. A parent doesn't sign the paper if he or she doesn't want the child to read the book. Other kids can read the books if they have permission.
Some books are not OK for all kids to read. But if more adults were careful about what their own kids read, they wouldn't have to ban books from the library.What does the underlined phrase “approve of" mean?
| A．borrow | B． accept | C． know | D． keep |
According to some parents, what should schooIs do before books are put in schooIs?
| A．Set certain standards. |
| B． Learn about the writers |
| C． Do a survey on books. |
| D．Take out the bad words. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Whether students should read certain books or not. |
| B．Whether some limits should be set on books or not. |
| C．Whether some books should be in schooI libraries or not. |
| D．Whether parents should choose good books for kids or not. |
Shelby sat at her desk and watched as her cIassmates came into the room. She was always the first one in c1ass. Shelby kept on top of everything going on at Hayword Elementary SchooJ.
But this morning, Shelby saw a new face. A girl walked into the room wearing an old jacket that was two sizes big and a worn-out winter hat with holes in it. SheIby raised an eyebrow as she tried to work out the girl's story.
"Who's that?" Nicole asked.
"New girl,” Shelby said. "Total tomboy (假小子). I bet she bought her jacket in the boys' department. "
Mr. Ryan Ied the girl to the front of the c1assroom. "Quiet down, everyone. This is Amber Dresky. She's new, and I want you all to make her feel welcome." Amber stared at her feet instead of Iooking at the c1ass.
"Amber's family has traveled a lot, so I'm sure she has many exciting stories to share," Mr Ryan continued.
Amber shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe you- can tell us once we know each other better," Mr. Ryari said. "You can take your seat now. "
Shelby watched Amber walk back to her seat.
"Shelby ，"Mr. Ryan said, "since you are the eyes and ears of Hayword, I thought you could show Amber around. Why don't you sit by Amber today?"
Shelby grabbed her books and moved to the back of the room. She stared at Amber's jacket.
Amber foIIowed Shelby's stare. "It's my older brother's jacket. He's overseas in the army. I miss him. "
SheIby's stomach sank. Amber wasn't a tomboy. She just missed her brother.
"That must be hard," SheIby said.
Amber nodded
"Maybe we could sit together at Iunch. You could tell me about your brother and the places you've been to. " Reallγ?”
"Yeah, " Shelby smiled. "Welcome to Hayword. "Who was always the first one in class?
| A． SheIby. | B．Nicole. | C．Mr. Ryan. | D． Amber Dresky. |
Why did Amber wear the big oId jacket?
| A．Because she couldn't afford to buy a new one. |
| B．Because she missed her brother in the army. |
| C．Because she Iiked to behave like a tomboy |
| D．Because she had traveled to many places. |
What is the best title of .the passage?
| A．An Unusual Morning | B．A Good Beginning |
| C．Her Best Friend | D． The New Girl |
The Most Unusual Jobs
Pet Food Tester .
Yes, it's a thing and yes it's totally gross(恶心的). But Mark Gooley ---the owner of a pet food company, eats dog food for a living. He eats everything from doggie treats and chewy bones to liver mixture.
Teddy Bear repair Engineer
When your favorite toy loses an arm, or suffers a bad injury, it is upsetting. But now you can get help in the Build-A-Bear Workshops, the teddy bear repair engineers repair your favorite teddy bears and get them back to themselves.
Water slide Tester
Monday morning surely seems more enjoyable if you spend your working week slipping down water slides in a theme park, especially in summer.
You might also spend your lunch break on a roller coaster, eating a hot dog for lunch.
Working holiday, am I right?
Paint Watcher
You may have heard some people say they'd "rather watch paint dry" than do something they don't want to do. Well, if they really mean it, the chance is there---- studying the drying time and effects(效果)of paint as a full-time job for a paint company.What is Mark Gooley's job?
| A． A paint watcher |
| B．A water slide tester. |
| C． A pet food tester. |
| D． A teddy bear repair engineer |
Where can you get help if your favorite toy loses an arm?
| A．In a theme park |
| B．In a paint company |
| C．In a pet food company |
| D．In a Build-A-Bear Workshop. |
What does a paint watcher do as a full-time job?
| A．He paints the wall. |
| B．He repairs the water slide. |
| C．He studies the effects of paint. |
| D．He watches others repair the wall. |
阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。（每小题2分，共8分）
Winter sports have become something new. It is taking China by storm in the last few years. Skiing（滑雪）and snowboarding have become very popular. Development has given many people more money to join these sports.
There are dangers in snow sports. One should know something basic about the sports in order to do the sport in safety. The first thing that must be taken care of is the place you wish to use. People like to go skiing in mountains. You may know that every skiing area has a danger rating（等级）. You must pay attention to these so that you can keep yourself away from dangers.
The second thing is that you must be in good shape for all this exercise. What you eat is very important to keep your health up and if you haven’t seen a doctor for a body exam in a while, please do .
The third thing is that you must have the right equipment（装备）. Also, never try to ski alone, so bring a friend. If there is an accident, you must try to keep warm and wait for others to save you.
If you are careful, you can have an enjoyable time in the snow.What has become something new?
Where do people like to go skiing?
What must you do if there is an accident?
What should you do to have a safe ski?