The London Eye is a giant 135---meter tall Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. Since 20 January 2011, it has been officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye following a three---year deal with the company. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people every year. The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames In the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge( which has longer history than the famous Severn Bridge to the west of London) and Hungerford Bridge. When erected in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006, and the 165m Singapore Flyer in 2008. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye’s capsules can see up to 40 kilometers in all directions. The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium(千禧年). Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium wheel. In 2009, a 4D Film Experience was added as a free extra to enjoy before your ride on the Eye. Once you get high enough and start coming down the other side, you will see people reach for their cameras. Here’s where the good stuff is right at your fingertips(or seems so). Parliament and Big Ben are beneath you, as are so many other historical things . If you are interested in other attractions in London, you can refer to the homepage. Which of the following statements is NOT correct ?
| A．It is so popular that every year, more than 3.5 million people visit the London Eye. |
| B．London Eye is called the EDF Energy London Eye from 2011 because the company bought it. |
| C．It is designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. |
| D．It is 135---meter tall and is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe. |
What cannot be seen from the London Eye ?
| A．The beautiful sights of the River Thames. |
| B．The Westminster Bridge. |
| C．The famous Seven Bridge. |
| D．Big Ben |
We can infer from the passage that___________.
| A．London Eye is the third tallest Ferris wheel in the world. |
| B．London Eye was named the Millennium Wheel at first. |
| C．London Eye is free of charge, and that's why so many people come here. |
| D．Before your ride on the London Eye, you can first enjoy a 4D film now. |
You can find this passage_________.
| A．in a magazine | B．in a newspaper | C．from a guidebook | D．on a website |
If you look for a book as a present for a child，you will be spoiled for choice even in a year there is no new Harry Potter． J．K Rowling’s wizard is not alone．The past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and an increased sales of classics such as The Lord of the Rings．
Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children．According to statistics in 1997, 23% said they didn’t like reading at all．In 2003, 35% didn’t．And around 6% of the children leave primary school each year unable to read properly．
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computes games．Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile．Either way, Chancellor Cordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class．In his pre-budget report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most．
Reading Recovery is aimed at six year olds, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher．An evaluation this year reported that children on the school made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress ,and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age．
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school, they read well, but read text often for fun than those elsewhere．Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can report lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success．According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage．Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?
| A．Many children’s books have been adapted from films． |
| B．Many high-quality children’s books have been published． |
| C．The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films． |
| D．The sales of presents for children have increased． |
Statistics suggested that____________．
| A．the number of top students increased with the use of computers |
| B．a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading |
| C．a minority of primary school children read properly |
| D．a huge percentage of children read regularly |
What do we know about Reading Recovery?
| A．An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year． |
| B．Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking． |
| C．It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading． |
| D．Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading． |
Reading for fun is important because book-loving children _________．
| A．take greater advantage of the project |
| B．show the potential to enjoy a long life |
| C．are likely to succeed in their education． |
| D．would make excellent future researchers |
The aim of this text would probably be _________．
| A．to overcome primary school pupils reading difficulty． |
| B．to encourage the publication of more children’s books |
| C．to remind children of the importance of reading for fun |
| D．to introduce a way to improve early children reading |
Below is some advice on how to prevent cancer:
8 Ways to Avoid Cancer in Your Life
1. Eat Blueberries
Aside from being a healthy and delicious snack, blueberries contain pterostilbene, which has important colon（结肠） cancer-fighting prosperities. But wait, it gets better. Blueberries also offer a large dose of vitamins C (14 milligrams per cup). So at breakfast, try to take in a cup and a half of blueberries in your cereal or yogurt, or mixed with other berries.
2. Drink Pomegranate（石榴）Juice
The deep red juice of the pomegranate contains polyphenols, isoflavones and ellagic acid, which together create a powerful anticancer mixture. Most recently, researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison has discovered that 16 ounces of pomegranate juice per day also may inhibit the growth of lung cancer.
3. Relax
Feeling stressed or worried? Find ways to relax and you may reduce your chances of developing cancer. Purdue University researchers tracked 1,600 men over 12 years and found that half of those with high levels of worry died during the study period. Only 20 percent of the optimists died before the study were completed, while 34 percent of the extremely anxious men died of some type of cancer. Instead of stressing about the past or future, focus on the present and relax!
4. Take Selenium（硒）
Selenium is well known for its cancer-fighting properties. In a study of almost 1,000 men, researchers from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that when men with the lowest initial levels of selenium in their bodies received a daily supplement over a 4 year period, they cut their prostate（前列腺） cancer risk by a remarkable 92 percent. However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing, so monitor your intake of selenium-containing supplements, Brazil nuts, tuna, meats and grains carefully.
5. Eat Sushi（寿司）
Seaweed may not be your idea of a great snack, but it is high in fiber, calcium and iron, and dry, roasted seaweed sheets used in sushi provide the additional benefits of vitamins A and C. Sushi rolls are also high in protein— a typical spicy tuna roll has only 290 calories but packs 24 grams of protein. So don’t skimp（节省）on the Sushi!
6. Enjoy the Outdoors
Vitamin D causes early death of cancer cells. A study published in the American Journey of Clinical Nutrition reported that women who supplemented their diets with 1,000 international. Units of vitamin D every day had a 60 percent to 77 percent lower incidence of cancer ever a four-year period that did women taking a placebo(无效对照剂). Experts recommend supplementing your fun in the sun with 1,100 to 2,000IU of vitamin D each day.
7. Breathe Clean Air
There’s no question that secondhand smoke kills. A recent American Journal of Public Health study showed that nonsmokers working in smoky places had three times the amount of carcinogen（致癌物质） in their urine（尿） than nonsmokers working in smoke-free locations. What’s worse, their levels of the carcinogen rose 6 percent for every hour worked. Nine states have banned smoking in all workplaces, bars and restaurants. The message is clear: Do whatever you can to avoid the cloud of smoke.
8. Break a Sweat
Even a small amount of exercise can offer major cancer-fighting benefits. In a study of 29,110 men published in the International Journal of Cancer, men who exercised just once a week had a percent lower risk of metastasis(转移性) prostate cancer than men who didn’t work out at all. The better the frequency, duration and intensity of the exercise, the bigger the reduction in risk, according to the study. To prevent yourself from catching colon cancer, you should eat ____ as often as possible.
| A．sushi | B．blueberries | C．pomegranates | D．Vitamin D |
A person is very likely to catch some type of cancer if ______.
| A．he is very fond of exercise every day. |
| B．he is addicted to smoking |
| C．he is always feeling extremely stressed or worried |
| D．he likes to have meals in restaurants |
_____ will remarkably reduce the risk of men’s prostate cancer.
| A．Having a daily supplement of selenium |
| B．Drinking a cup of pomegranate juice every day |
| C．Breathing fresh air now and then |
| D．Taking exercise at least once a week |
If you want to keep cancer away, it is particularly important to ______.
| A．have a daily supplement of vitamins B and C |
| B．try to ignore the secondhand smoking |
| C．take in as many selenium-containing supplements as possible |
| D．having exercise as often as possible |
My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who? ” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed. According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
| A．interested in observing things around |
| B．good at judging one’s character |
| C．strict with her boyfriend |
| D．fond of challenges |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. |
| B．Jack was different from any other boy. |
| C．Jack was getting on well with Mother. |
| D．Jack knew a lot about piano. |
The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．piece of advice | B．wedding ceremony |
| C．celebration of birthday | D．offer of marriage |
On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt __________.
| A．pleased | B．worried |
| C．surprised | D．disappointed |
Why did the writer’s mother cry?
| A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. |
| B．She had never received such a beautiful gift. |
| C．Her daughter found her life partner at last. |
| D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive. |
The evidence for harmony （ 和谐）may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image(形象) of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. "We were surprised by just how positive today's young people seem to be about their families," said one member of the research team. "They're expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation(商议) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat."
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. "My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me," says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. " I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with it." Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. "Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that."
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, "Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over."According to the author, teenage rebellion ________.
| A．resulted from changes in families |
| B．is common nowadays |
| C．may be a false belief |
| D．existed only in the 1960s |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Education in family |
| B．Harmony in family |
| C．Teenage trouble in family |
| D．Negotiation in family |
The study shows that teenagers don't want to ________.
| A．go boating with their family |
| B．share family responsibility |
| C．make family decisions |
| D．cause trouble in their families |
Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today's parents ________.
| A．care less about their children's life |
| B．go to clubs more often with their children |
| C．give their children more freedom |
| D．are much stricter with their children |
Authorities in Shanghai said Thursday night that another person has died from H7N9 bird flu, bringing the death toll to five around the country. The city has reported six infections (感染) to date, and four have died, said the Shanghai Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission. Of the rest two, there was a four-year-old, the agency said. The baby was recovering from mild illness, it added. The person died at Huashan Hospital on Wednesday and was confirmed infected with the H7N9 bird flu on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, the commission reported the city's third death from the H7N9 bird flu. The case involved a 48-year-old man surnamed Chu, a poultry (家禽) transporter from Rugao in neighboring Jiangsu Province. He developed symptoms(症状) of cough on March 28. After having a fever on Monday, he went to a private clinic for treatment. The man then sought help in the Tongji Hospital in Shanghai in the early hours of Wednesday after his condition worsened. Chu died three hours after being admitted to the hospital. He was confirmed infected with the H7N9 virus on Thursday. Eight people who had close contact with him have shown no abnormal symptoms.
So far, China has confirmed 14 H7N9 cases -- six in Shanghai, four in Jiangsu, three in Zhejiang and one in Anhui, in the first known human infections of the lesser-known type of bird flu. Of all, four died in Shanghai and one died in Zhejiang. China's Ministry of Agriculture said Thursday the H7N9 avian flu virus has been detected from pigeon (鸽子) samples collected at a marketplace in Songjiang District of Shanghai.
After gene sequence analysis, the national avian flu reference laboratory concluded that the H7N9 virus found on pigeons was highly congenetic with those found on persons infected with H7N9 virus. China's health authorities have promised transparency(透明) and cooperation (合作) to the World Health Organization in regards to human infections of the new type of bird flu. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that no human-to-human transmission of H7N9 has been discovered.What does the underlined word “confirmed” probably mean?
| A．said |
| B．doubted |
| C．proved |
| D．made |
What does the news report mainly about?
| A．How many people died of H7N9 bird flu |
| B．How the development of the H7N9 bird flu vaccine (疫苗) is going on |
| C．What measures the government has taken to stop the spreading of H7N9 |
| D．The new outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the news report?
| A．H7N9 bird flu has killed four people in Shanghai and one in Zhejiang. |
| B．H7N9 virus is not one that spreads from human to human |
| C．So far, China has confirmed 14 deaths from the H7N9 bird flu |
| D．The government agreed to cooperate with WHO in regards to the H7N9 |
What can we infer from the second paragraph?
| A．Chu, a poultry transporter is the city’s third death from the H7N9 bird flu |
| B．Chu developed symptoms of cough and a fever |
| C．Chu died three hours after being admitted to a private clinic |
| D．Eight people who had close contact with him haven’t been infected with H7N9 |