When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .
| A．head straight for the center of the storm |
| B．get into the car for safety |
| C．wait patiently for the storm to develop |
| D．collect information about a coming storm |
Beginners of storm chasing are advised .
| A．not to drive in a heavy rain |
| B．to do it in an organized way |
| C．not to get too close to a storm |
| D．to spend more time on it in summer |
By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that .
| A．storm chasing costs a lot of money |
| B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting |
| C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid |
| D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment |
| B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms. |
| C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world. |
| D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people. |
“Why should I care about the environment?” some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children.
What is “being eco-conscious”?
Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, “Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair.” However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, “Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?”
How can I be eco-conscious?
You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life.
When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can.
You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home.
You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling.
You can eat less chewing gum.
You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants.
You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins.
You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden.
You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV.
You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use.
You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%.
Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference.Human beings should care about the environment because _________ .
| A．if we make the earth unlivable, we’ll have to live in space |
| B．it can help our children live better |
| C．if we don’t, the earth will become a garbage dump |
| D．it will help to make the world a good living place |
If your deskmate is an eco-conscious person, he should __________.
| A．be aware of the importance of protecting the environment |
| B．use plastic bags when he buys something |
| C．know nothing about CFCs |
| D．turn his air conditioner to a higher degree |
If you want to help the environment, you should do all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．share a car with your colleagues |
| B．use paper bags instead of plastic bags |
| C．use hairspray containing CFCs |
| D．use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．it’s very hard for human beings to keep the earth clean and comfortable |
| B．protecting the environment is the duty of everybody |
| C．we should protect the environment together, as it’s no use doing it individually |
| D．it’s very easy to be eco-conscious |
According to the author, which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．Being eco-conscious means you should know much about the environment. |
| B．The more we care, the better the environment will be. |
| C．If each of us just does a little, we can’t make any difference. |
| D．If we treat the earth badly, we’ll make a lot of trouble for ourselves. |
“Our aim is to take our art to the world and make people understand what it is to move,” said David Belle, the founder of parkour(跑酷).
Do you love running? It is a good exercise, yet many people find it boring. But what if making your morning jog a creative one? Like jumping from walls and over gaps, and ground rolls? Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond’s wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.
Yes, that’s parkour, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Parkour is considered an extreme sport. As its participants dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from rooftop to rooftop.
Parkour can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds, but its participants see parkour much more than that.
Overcome all the obstacles on the course and in life it is part of the philosophy(理念) behind parkour. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, jump over all the barriers as if in parkour and never fall back from them in your life to reach the destination successfully. A parkour lover said, “I love parkour because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything.”
Another philosophy we’ve learnt from parkour is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself that you earn energy and confidence. Parkour has become popular throughout the world because of .
| A．its founder, David Belle | B．the film, Casino Royale |
| C．its risks and tricks | D．the varieties of participants |
The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “”.
| A．streets | B．objects | C．barriers | D．roofs |
Which of the following is true of parkour?
| A．It challenges human abilities. | B．It is a good but boring sport. |
| C．It needs special training. | D．It is a team sport. |
As its participants move around a city, .
| A．they can ask for help | B．they may choose to escape |
| C．they should run to extremes | D．they must learn to survive |
Which of the following is the philosophy of parkour?
| A．Sports and extremes. | B．Excitement and freedom. |
| C．Dreams and success. | D．Determination and freedom. |
London is a huge city with more things to do than anywhere else. With the London Pass, you get free entry to over 50 specially selected places with one purchase. In the list you’ll find:
●19 historic buildings
●22 museums and art galleries
●8 tours, cruises and walks and leisure activities
●13 places of interest including ships and aquariums
●12 restaurants and services
The London Pass offers not only great value and convenience , but also enables you to beat the queues at selected attractions. There are also special offers such as discounts at restaurants and theaters , where the attraction is normally free to the public. The London Pass also gives you great offers such as a free guided tour. So whether you prefer museums or cinemas, galleries or ice skating or zoos, with the London Pass there really is something for everyone.
You can buy Adult or Child passes for 2, 3 or 6 days. See all ticket prices below and choose what you need.
| Description |
Price |
| London Pass 2 days Adult-Item E-036 |
$87 |
| London Pass 3 days Adult-Item E-037 |
$104 |
| London Pass 6 days Adult-Item E-038 |
$140 |
| London Pass 2 days Child (5-15 years) |
$62 |
| London Pass 3 days Child (5-15 years) |
$72 |
| London Pass 6 days Child (5-15 years) |
$100 |
You can contact us by sending emails or making calls.
Please call 1-888-254-0637
Outside the US please call 00-800-84468370 or +1 210 507 5997
VIP reservations: Contact a Customer Service representative at 1-866-270-2849
NOTE: If your reservation is made prior to Jan 15th, 2013, email sales@previewhotels.com.With the London Pass you can probably do all the following things for free EXCEPT_________ .
| A．see famous buildings | B．stay at hotels |
| C．go boating | D．join in entertainment activities |
According to Paragraph 2, with the London Pass, visitors ________ .
| A．won’t have to pay for guided tours |
| B．can eat meals for free at some restaurants |
| C．will be fined unless they wait in line |
| D．won’t be allowed to travel alone |
How much should Mr King pay for the London Pass 2 days if he goes with his wife and 7-year-old son?
| A．$174 | B．$236 | C．$244 | D．$270 |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The London Pass has discounts for students. |
| B．16 year olds can enjoy the London Pass 2 days Child. |
| C．Children under 5 don’t need the London Pass. |
| D．The London Pass cannot be bought on weekends. |
If you are a VIP customer, you can reserve by calling ______ .
| A．1-888-254-0637 | B．00-800-84468370 |
| C．+1 210 507 5997 | D．1-866-270-2849 |
I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching (紧握) at one another’s hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up huddled (聚在一起) round listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon (蚕茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come — with the people who respect you for who you are. That is the only kind of popularity that really counts. In this passage, the author wants to tell _______.
| A．teenagers to try to pursue their real selves |
| B．readers to try to be popular with people around |
| C．parents to try to control and guide their children |
| D．people to try to understand and respect each other |
The author disapproves of rebelling teenagers _______.
| A．growing away from their parents | B．following the popularity trend |
| C．walking a new way on their own | D．turning to their friends for help |
The phrase “ larger cocoon” at the end of the second paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the distractive and variable society | B．the dazzling music world |
| C．the parental care and love | D．the popularity wave in the society |
What does the author think of advertisements?
| A．Convincing. | B．Instructive. |
| C．Influential. | D．Authoritative. |
According to the author, what might happen when a teenager stands up against the popularity wave and follows his/her own path?
| A．He/She falls behind the time. | B．He/She loses good friends. |
| C．He/She faces all kinds of criticism. | D．He/She gains valuable popularity. |
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (Health Day News) -- Middle school studentswho are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found. And, the average scores went up in connection with levels of fitness, the findings showed.
“The more physically fit kids were, the higher their scores,” said the study’s lead author, Trent Petrie, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. “Parents should encourage their kids to be physically active. There are some real cognitive (认知的) and academic benefits that come from physical fitness”, Petrie said.
Results of the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, Fla. The study included more than 1,200middle school studentsfrom five schools in a suburban area of Texas, with 561 boys and 650 girls. About 57 percent of the children were white, and nearly one-quarter were Mexican American. Nine percent were black and about 2 percent were of Asian descent.
The school district provided the researchers with information on the children’s race, age, grade level and whether they qualified for the free school lunch program, which was an indicator of the family’s socioeconomic status. The schools also provided scores to the tests, which were given between one and four months after the researchers had assessed the children’s levels of fitness. Fitness tests were administered duringphysical educationclasses to determine the youngsters’ heart and lung health (cardiorespiratory fitness), as well as their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how much body fat a person has. The children also filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers determine factors such as self-esteem and social support.
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, family income and self-esteem, the researchers found that for both boys and girls, higher levels of heart and lung healthpredicted better scores on both the math and reading tests.
For boys, perceived (感观的) social support also seemed to increase their reading scores, the investigators found. In girls, while being physically fit predicted higher reading scores, so too did a higher BMI-- which indicates more body fat. “We were a little surprised by this finding,” Petrie said.
“It was not as strong an association as the one with physical fitness,” he added. The authors suspect it may have something to do with girls this age entering adolescence, which may be related to a higher BMI and slightly higher brain development. He said he plans to make great effort to look for this relationship again in larger studies to see if it was a chance finding, or if the association holds up.
“While we can’t say 100 percent thatphysical fitnesscauses better academic performance, we can say that there is a strong and predictive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance,” Petrie said.
“It’s hard to tease apart (梳理) the exact reason for this association,” said Becky Hashim, an attending clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, in New York City.
“It may be that the children are getting more oxygen. When the heart and lungs are working at a higher capacity, it may allow the brain to work at peak performance. Children who are less fit may be sleepier during school,” she noted. “I personally feel that there’s probably a strong relationship between the confidence you get from being able to do something physical well and academic performance.”
Whatever the reason behind this association may be, “there’s certainly no harm in pushing physical fitness,” Hashim added. “Physical fitness may make you feel better, give you more confidence and improve your performance across the board,” she said.
Petrie agreed. “Physically fit kids are happier, have higher self-esteem and, tend to have better relationships, and now we’re beginning to see that there also seem to be benefits cognitively and academically. Our study sends a strong warning to policymakers to reconsider the service program of physical education classes for kids,” he said. How did the school district help the researchers carry out the study?
| A．By analyzing the data of fitness tests. |
| B．By giving some basic information. |
| C．By completing some questionnaires. |
| D．By offering a certain amount of Money. |
According to the passage, the result of the study will be published ______.
| A．in a book | B．in a journal | C．at a conference | D．on the Internet |
What’s the suitable title of the passage?
| A．Parents should be aware of the benefit of fitness. |
| B．Fitter kids are likely to make better grades. |
| C．Fitness affects kids’ social behavior greatly. |
| D．Teachers should value physical education classes. |
What’s Becky Hashim’s attitude towards the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance?
| A．Supportive | B．Indifferent | C．Critical | D．Doubtful |
What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph refer to?
| A．The BMI. | B．The body fat. | C．The brain development. | D．The test score. |
From the last paragraph we can infer that physically fit kids ______.
| A．deserve to be treated well | B．live much longer than others |
| C．get along well with others | D．enjoy a peaceful life |