In Asia, there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them. Although all kites have a similar structure （结构）, they are widely different in size and shape. Kite-fighting competitions are also held, in which competitions us their kites to attack and bring down their opponents’（对手）kites or cut their strings（线）.
For more than 15 years, the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite-making and kite flying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii. In its kite-making lessons, students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes! Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite. Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980. Their kites are made of nylon（尼龙）.Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne. The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite.
The kite that is used to give lessons is regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern. The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two-string controllable kite. Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in. Then the controls are given to the students.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites. Even the simplest structure can work, and can give hours of fun. Go on, give it a try!Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．A hot knife is used to iron the nylon. |
| B．Children never fly kites on their own in flying lessons. |
| C．Kite strings must not be cut in kite-fighting competitions. |
| D．Daphne designs kites for the Big Wind Kite Factory. |
What is different about the kite used for flying lessons?
| A．It has two strings. |
| B．It is simple in design |
| C．It has a rainbow pattern. |
| D．It is shaped like a diamond. |
According to Jonathan, what do you need to have fun with kites?
| A．A large kite. |
| B．Any type of kite. |
| C．A complex structure. |
| D．A kite that impresses others. |
What is mainly described in the text?
| A．A kite factory |
| B．Kite-flying lessons. |
| C．Special competitions. |
| D．The kite-making Process. |
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable（可持续的）ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil, which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions（排放）and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that _________.
| A．it consumes natural resources |
| B．it makes the world warmer |
| C．it brings severe damage to forests |
| D．it makes growth hard to continue |
What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
| A．China lacks wind and solar energy. |
| B．China is the leader of the low-carbon market. |
| C．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests. |
| D．High-speed trains are a low-carbon development. |
To fully develop the low-carbon markets, governments can ________.
| A．cut public expenses | B．encourage energy conservation |
| C．develop public resources | D．forbid carbon emission |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To advocate sustainable development. | B．To compare two business models. |
| C．To predict a change of the global market. | D．To introduce a new business model. |
STUDY BOOKS
Basic Study Manual Hardcover: $ 37.50
Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers, business trainers and by students themselves. Read this book and learn:
* What the three barriers to study are and what to do about them
* What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying
* Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding
Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.
Study Skills for Life Hardcover: $ 31.99
L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them the ability to study and learn. Fully illustrated for easy comprehension.
Learning How to Learn Hardcover: $ 24.99
The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year-olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book regain their liking for study and their ability to apply this knowledge in life. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!
How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children Hardcover: $ 34.90
In spite of millions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning, even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found no book that told them how to use a dictionary or that one should. Written for children at 8 to 12-year-olds, this fully illustrated book will teach your child:
* How to find words in a dictionary
* The different ways that words are used
* What the different marks and symbols that are used in a dictionary mean
* How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words
It includes a section for parents and teachers showing you how to use this book with children. Buy this book and give it to your children to unlock their education. What’s more, you’ll just pay 50% for it before May 1, 2006.Some information of the four books were illustrated in order to _________.
| A．help readers understand them | B．persuade readers to buy them |
| C．reduce the cost of them | D．make them suitable to different readers |
Which one is the book written for 8 to 12 years old to use a dictionary?
| A．Basic Study Manual | B．Study Skills for Life |
| C．Learning How to Learn | D．How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children |
If you buy the four books on April 1, 2006, you will have to pay _________ for them.
| A．$ 129.38 | B．$ 111.93 | C．$ 64.69 | D．$ 34.90 |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．introduce the four books to readers | B．help children to learn English |
| C．enrich students knowledge about nature | D．sell the four books to students |
One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son and his girlfriend in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying（陪伴）the older ones. Later, I discovered that I was completely wrong.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson, ” I said．I decided they must be outside．Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a winter night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation（绝望）, I called his girlfriend’s house. His girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone．I was not my usual calm, patient. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts — a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because________.
| A．she knew that his girlfriend was a good baby-sitter |
| B．she believed he could take good care of the younger ones with the help of his girlfriend |
| C．the older children have always loved the younger ones |
| D．she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night |
Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that _________.
| A．her son had brought his girlfriend home |
| B．her son had left home with his girlfriend |
| C．she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son |
| D．she should have taken the children along with her |
“It was only part of the truth.” implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also _________.
| A．had their pictures taken | B．received some gifts |
| C．had a birthday party | D．showed off their best clothes |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．An Evening Out | B．Modern Teenagers |
| C．Mother and Children | D．A Precious Birthday Gift |
David: Where would you live if you could choose?
Jane: It’s very difficult to say.
David: What would you do if you lived in Paris?
Jane:
David: You’d soon get tired of it.
Jane: I wouldn’t live in New York. It is too noisy.
David: How about Los Angeles？
Jane:
David: It is said the sun shines every day in Los Angeles. I’d like to live there.
Jane:
David: I would also like to live in a city with a lot of good friends.
| A．I’d like to live there, too |
| B．And what about the United States? |
| C．Los Angeles wouldn’t be a bad idea. |
| D．Would you like to live alone? |
E. If I were very rich, I’d certainly choose Paris.
F. As a matter of fact, I’d live in any city where I had friends.
G. Oh, I’d have a house by the Seine, and I could enjoy the scenery.
London, Dec.17 (Xinhua) “Drivers on London Underground trains have started reading out sayings from great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi , Frindrich Engels, and Albert Einstein in a bid to cheer up passengers ,” officials said. As well as the usual announcements urging passengers to “mind the steps” and warning of delays, the sayings such as “ an ounce ( 盎司) of action is worth a ton of theory” have taken the place of commercial ad in the underground carriages .
New York, Oct.8 (Xinhua) Once as a famous actor, now the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to abandon textbooks in favor of digital ones. He plans to launch this program in August next year when California’s high-school pupils will have access to online math and science text. But some teachers wonder whether his idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbook going for $300.
Amsterdam, Nov.30 (Xinhua) A few cups of coffee a day may not only help to put off the disease—dementia(痴呆) but also can treat it, according to Dr. Arendash, who led the research. After giving mice with memory damage water containing caffeine, he found the mice developed better memories and quick thinking. The reason is that caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain and directly affects the disease process. He suggested people should drink five eight–ounce cups of ordinary coffee, two cups of strong ‘coffee shop’ coffee, 14 cups of tea, or 20 cola drinks to get the same amount of 500 milligrams of caffeine.What’s the purpose of putting up sayings on the underground carriages in London?
| A．to help passengers to kill time. |
| B．to encourage passengers to learn. |
| C．to lift the spirits of passengers. |
| D．to make money as a commercial ad. |
What can we conclude from the second news?
| A．digital textbooks will replace traditional textbooks. |
| B．online math is already available to high-school pupils . |
| C．digital textbooks are convenient to carry anywhere. |
| D．Not all the teachers support their governor’s idea. |
Which of the following statements is true from the third news?
| A．The more coffee you drink, the less chance there will be for dementia. |
| B．Caffeine can make mice become more and more intelligent and energetic. |
| C．Caffeine can affect the process of the disease—dementia and treat it. |
| D．Caffeine is a safe drug for all the people for everyday use so enjoy it. |