Taiwan police cannot decide whether to treat it as an extremely act of stealing or an even cheat. Either way, it could be the perfect crime, because the criminals are birds—homing pigeons !
The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car: if you want the car back, pay up. Then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money to the neck of the pigeon inside. Carrying the money in a tiny bag, the pigeon flies off.
There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however, may in fact be the work of an even lazier and more inventive criminal mind—one that avoids not only collecting money but also going out to steal the car in the first place. Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for things he cannot possibly return. Instead of stealing cars, he lets someone else do it and then waits for the car-owner to place an advertisement in the newspaper asking for help.
The thought is supported by the fact that, so far, none of the stolen cars have been returned. Also, the amount of money demanded-under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars–seems too little for a car worth many times more.
Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal. “We have more important things to do,” he said. After the car owner received a phone call, he _______.
| A．went to a certain pigeon and put some money in the bag it carried |
| B．gave the money to the thief and had his car back in a park |
| C．sent some money to the thief by mail |
| D．told the press about it |
The “lazier and more inventive” criminal refers to _______.
| A．the car thief who stays at home |
| B．one of those who put the ads in the paper |
| C．one of the policemen in Changwa |
| D．the owner of the pigeons |
The writer mentions the fact that “none of the stolen cars have been returned” to show _______.
| A．how easily people get fooled by criminals |
| B．what Chen thinks might be correct |
| C．the thief is extremely clever |
| D．the money paid is too little |
The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to ____.
| A．criminals | B．pigeons | C．the stolen cars | D．demands for money |
We may infer from the text that the criminal knows how to reach the car owners because _______.
| A．he reads the ads in the newspaper |
| B．he lives in the same neighborhood |
| C．he has seen the car owners in the park |
| D．he has trained the pigeons to follow them |
China in the 21st century is making great progress in space technology. In 2003, the country sent up the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-V. Four years later, Chang’e-I went into orbit (轨道) around the moon. In 2008 a Chinese man did the country’s first spacewalk.
These achievements would have been unthinkable without the contribution of Qian Xuesen, a key scientist on space programs and rocketry (火箭技术) of the People’s Republic of China. This pioneering scientist passed away in Beijing on October 31 in 2009 at the age of 98.
Once called “the father of our space industry”, Qian began working on China’s missile and space technology in 1956, when China had little technology. When asked by General Chen Geng whether the Chinese could develop their own missiles, Qian said Chinese could do anything that foreigners could.
His research helped lead to the explosion of China’s first atomic bomb (原子弹) in1964, as well as to its first man-made satellite in 1970 and its first manned spacecraft in 2003.
Qian was born in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934.Then he studied in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at the California Institute of Technology. During World WarⅡ, Qian’s research contributed to the development of rocket technology that the US military (军队) began using in the 1940s. He was once prevented from leaving the country because it was decided that he knew too much about certain military matters. It was not until in 1955 that Qian returned to China with the help of the late premier Zhou Enlai.
“I plan to do my best to help the Chinese build a nation where they can live with dignity (尊严) and happiness, ” Qian told reporters before sailing for China in 1955. The great scientist devoted all his life to keeping the promise. What is the article mainly about?
| A．It gives a short history of Chinese missile and space programs. |
| B．It is about how Qian contributed to the Chinese space program. |
| C．It lists important events that Qian experienced. |
| D．It is a brief introduction to Qian, a famous Chinese scientist. |
. Which statement about Qian is TRUE?
| A．He was born in China and brought up in America. |
| B．He went to America for further study after graduation from university. |
| C．He returned to his hometown right after finishing his education. |
| D．He had worked on missiles in the US military before coming back to China. |
Qian was personally involved in many historic events in China EXCEPT .
| A．the first spacewalk | B．the first man-made satellite |
| C．the development of missiles | D．the explosion of an atomic bomb |
From the article, we can conclude that .
| A．the US military had hoped to take full advantage of Qian’s talent |
| B．Qian had an important position in the US military in the 1940s |
| C．when World War broke out, Qian was studying at Shanghai Jiaotong University |
| D．it was not easy to get Qian back from the US |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余项。
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, and red? 71 Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be a pessimist（悲观者）. At least, this is what psychologists（心理专家） tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of colors preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. 72If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
73 A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. 74A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides than any other bridge in the area ---until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply; perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
75It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.
| A．On the other hand, black is depressing. |
| B．They tells us that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up——we are born with our preference. |
| C．The rooms are painted in different colors as you like. |
| D．If you do, you must be an optimist（乐观者）, a leader, an active person who enjoys |
life, people and excitement.
E. Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.
F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.
G. Colors do influence our moods——there is no doubt about it .
Parents whose children show a special interest in a particular sport feel it very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers. Should they allow their children to train to become top sports men and women? For many children it means starting school work very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It’s very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.
Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is available from government for the very best young sportsmen and women. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child’s development—and sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc. can all be very expensive.
Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training. The underlined phrase“to take a second place”(para1 line4) means_________.
| A．to repeat the activities at some other place | B．to become less important |
| C．all things considered, they are of poor quality | D．to happen again |
According to the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in a sport_______.
| A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sports men or women |
| B．try to get financial（财务的）support from the government for their children’s training |
| C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods |
| D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．By starting young, you won't have much time for your school work. |
| B．Early training may damage your muscles. |
| C．Most children may become professional sports men after a long period of training. |
| D．It's very expensive for parents to support their child's development in sports |
Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of matters in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. These powerful senses help sharks find their food. Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.
Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs. The others give birth to live young. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old. Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.
Sharks are important for the world’s oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too large. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.
People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable.Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark. Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A. The skin of a shark can be used like leather.
In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth. If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels.. Which of the following words best describes the situation sharks are in?
| A．Good. | B．Endangered. | C．Powerful. | D．Expensive. |
Sharks eat other fish, __________.
| A．which is a threat to all other forms of life in the oceans |
| B．which is a protection for plants and other forms of life in the oceans |
| C．which helps prevent diseases from spreading |
| D．which helps the number of other fish to grow |
According to the passage, many parts of a shark are valuable EXCEPT ________.
| A．its jaws | B．its liver | C．shark fins | D．shark teeth |
The author thinks that______.
| A．sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them |
| B．oceans will become safer with fewer sharks swimming around |
| C．measures should be taken to protect sharks |
| D．the shark population is increasing slowly |
| Have fun with Stamp collecting..．Join the Collectors Club today! If you enjoy learning all about stamps, then the Royal Mail’s Collectors Club is for you．Join the club and discover the fascinating world of stamps．There are over 70,000 members and it is one of the biggest clubs of its kind in the country. Become a member today and you will receive lots of wonderful stamp collecting goodies... ● A Starter pack... And every two months... ● Collectors Club magazine ●Collectors Corner supplement And every year... ●A new Stamp Calendar ●A set of Album Pages Join today! It won’t cost you much to experience the fun of stamp collecting. |
Collectors Club Starter Pack 1.100 used stamps and hinges. 2. The Collectors Club Guide to Collecting. 3.The latest Collectors Club magazine (packed with news and views about stamps, quizzes and competitions, all in color) 4.Album pages 5.Badge and stickers 6.Membership card 7. Royal Mail Stamp Calendar. ********** Already Registered? Sign In Here! Learn More View a Flash presentation about our club (3.51MB) |
．Which of the following is NOT included in a starter pack?
| A．One hundred used stamps and hinges and album pages. |
| B．The Collectors Club Guide to Collecting and badge and stickers. |
| C．The latest Collectors Club magazine and membership card. |
| D．Royal Mail Stamp Calendar and Collectors Corner supplement. |
．This advertisement is written for people who want to_______.
| A．make money through collecting stamps |
| B．develop stamp collection as a hobby |
| C．get something free from the club |
| D．find out where the club is located |
．From the advertisement we can learn_____.
| A．Collectors Club is among the biggest clubs in this country |
| B．how much you must pay to become a member of the club |
| C．today is the last day for stamp collectors to join the club |
| D．members may receive a set of album pages every month |
．Where is this advertisement most probably found?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．On a web page. |
| C．In a magazine. | D．On a TV program. |