On Sunday a few of us decided to take advantage of the first sunny day we’d have for ages to take a trip down to the coast to visit the penguins again. Last time I went down there was a couple of months ago and it was a dull cold day. Sunday couldn’t have been more different — clear skies and sunshine made it feel like summer, although it was still -25°C.
Six of us drove to the coast. It was the first time we’d been off the base on our own without our field assistant, so it had a slightly different feeling — more like a few friends going to the seaside than an Antarctic field trip! When we reached Windy Creek, we luckily caught sight of quite a few small flying seabirds, which are seldom seen there.
Once on the sea ice we found that some of the more curious penguins had wandered over from the main group to come and check us out. We’d been told that then they were nursing their chicks (刚孵出的幼雏) and they would be more careful and nervous than last time, but that didn’t seem to be the case. We walked across to the main group which were stretched for a couple of miles along the coast. We sat down for some sandwiches and soon found ourselves surrounded by many curious observers. Without any attackers on land, they were very brave and came within a meter of us to pose (摆姿势) for photos.
Before heading back, we spent a few hours on the sea ice watching the penguins and their chicks, which had grown dramatically (明显地) since our last visit.
It was such a nice day.When did the trip most probably happen?
| A．On a dull Sunday. | B．On a warm Sunday. |
| C．On a summer Sunday. | D．On a winter Sunday. |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that the six people _____.
| A．felt a little nervous |
| B．felt a little excited |
| C．were left all by themselves on their Antarctic base |
| D．got bored with staying with their field assistant |
What does the writer mean by saying “but that didn’t seem to be the case”?
| A．They were told a lie. |
| B．A wrong decision was made. |
| C．The truth was the opposite. |
| D．They didn’t believe what they were told. |
The six people did the following during the trip EXCEPT _____.
| A．feed the penguins |
| B．take pictures of the penguins |
| C．enjoy watching flying seabirds |
| D．watch the young penguins |
Does being rich make you happy? Many studies on happiness give negative answers. Here are some points in being happy.
Basic Human Needs Must Be Met
People whose basic needs for shelter, clothing and food are not met will find it very difficult to feel happy. Of course, there are exceptions, but for most of us, we can only be happy once our basic needs are met.
The Joneses Cannot Be Escaped
People’s happiness is not determined by how much they have, but by how much people around them have. So, we tend to feel happy once our basic needs are met and we have more than the people surrounding us.
This means that while keeping up with the Joneses could be destructive if we let it go too far. It is also part of humana nature to want to feel at least on the same level, financially, as those surrounding us.
You Should Escape The Rat Race
We should know the importance of staying out of the rat race. So yes, you need to work hard, get the education you need to land a good job and work long enough and hard enough to get to a place where you can easily meet your basic needs. What are basic needs? For most middle or upper middle class Americans, basic needs are not very basic anymore.
For most of us, once our basic needs have been met, happiness is achieved when we engage in activities we like, spend time with friends and family and stay active. Making money for the sake of making money does not make people happy.
Ideally, these questions should be answered when you’re still young and just starting out. Don’t wait until your midlife crisis to realize that half your life has passed you by and you’re still unhappy.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．The research on happiness. | B．Key points on being happy. |
| C．What makes people feel unhappy. | D．Being rich makes people happy. |
In the view of the author, we know that ______.
| A．people need to have a place to live first of all |
| B．human basic needs are not necessary for being happy |
| C．human basic needs are fundamental for being happy |
| D．one will be happy if he has enough money |
What does the underlined phrase”the Joneses” in Paragraph 4 probably stand for?
| A．Expensive things. | B．Neighbors. |
| C．Money. | D．Richer people. |
From the passage, what is the purpose of people probably to do in “the rat race”?
| A．To enjoy their life with family. |
| B．To get high education for better jobs. |
| C．To work too hard for money only. |
| D．To work hard for basic needs. |
What’s the attitude of the author towards the passage?
| A．Money is a big problem, but money isn’t everything. |
| B．The love of money is the root of all evil. |
| C．Money doesn’t grow on trees. |
| D．Money is happiness. |
Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. “Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students,” said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States.
One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China’s boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal(资金) to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2009, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange.
International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies(补贴). Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2007-2008, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2006.
Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year’s fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying(竞争) to enroll Chinese students.
Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two types of scholarships and has handed out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years.The reason for heating up competition between international universities is ___.
| A．that China has become one of the largest exporters of the students aiming to study abroad |
| B．that the students in China are becoming richer and richer |
| C．China’s boom, the students’ desire and foreign universities’ commercial motive |
| D．that the students in foreign countries do not want to go to universities |
Why are more Chinese students able to study abroad?
| A．Because they can’t go to the best universities at home. |
| B．Because their families have enough money to send them to international universities. |
| C．Because they want to win the scholarship of foreign universities |
| D．Because the Chinese students enjoy following others and they want to be independent. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．There are fewer family-funded Chinese students studying abroad in 2008 than in 2009. |
| B．Chinese students are able to study abroad for their relatives overseas. |
| C．In 2009 there will be 200,000 state-funded Chinese students studying overseas. |
| D．In 2009 there will be 200,000 Chinese students studying in the US. |
From the passage we can learn that _____.
| A．the number of foreign students is becoming smaller and smaller |
| B．there were approximately 81,000 foreign students studying in the US during 2007-2008 |
| C．the international universities are short of money |
| D．the Chinese students are richer than the American students |
What does the UK do to attract the international students?
| A．Setting up two types of scholarships. |
| B．Handing out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years. |
| C．Allowing to look for work in their spare time in the UK for up to 2 years. |
| D．Permitting students to have a visa to stay on and look for work for 2 years after completing the degree. |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in _____.
| A．a travel guide | B．a newspaper |
| C．a textbook | D．a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
| A．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
| A．brave | B．diligent |
| C．quick | D．humorous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
When I was in medical college, I went camping with some of my friends. The season was summer; therefore, we chose to go to the seaside. After arriving there, we rent a room and left our luggage there. We finished lunch and then decided to rent a boat because the sea and the weather were beautiful.
We started to row, but about one mile out, the weather suddenly changed. Although the weather was not good, we didn't want to give up, but finally my friends and I agreed that we should go back. We tried to change the boat's direction, but as soon as we changed it, the oarlock (桨架)broke. Therefore, we were unable to turn back. We had to wait for help because we couldn't do anything.
After seeing the change of weather, we shouldn't have continued to row, but it was too late. We regretted(后悔) it. The sea changed a lot, the waves got very high, and the boat began to shake like a cradle(摇篮). One of my friends started to cry; another started to vomit(呕吐). Three hours passed, and nobody came to help us. We were just praying.
Fortunately, after five long hours of waiting, two big boats came to rescue us and we escaped. If they hadn't come to get us, we would have crossed the border between Turkey and Greece because the border was very close.
This story is the most exciting story of my life because we could have died, but luck was with us and we escaped.What does the author mainly tell us in this passage?
| A．An experience at sea. |
| B．An exciting experience when swimming. |
| C．The changeable weather at the seaside. |
| D．It is dangerous to boat at sea. |
When did they begin to go boating in the sea?
| A．In the morning. | B．In the afternoon. | C．In the evening. | D．At night. |
What they regretted was that ______ when the weather changed.
| A．they went camping at the seaside | B．they went on rowing |
| C．the waves got very high | D．they started too late |
One of his friends started to vomit because _________.
| A．he came down with a disease | B．they stayed three hours at sea |
| C．the boat shook too much | D．nobody came to help them |
Can trees talk? Yes, but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate (交际) with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that they got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. Then even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special smell---a signal (信号) causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending message?It can be concluded from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that ______.
| A．are lying on the ground | B．have an unpleasant taste |
| C．bees don’t like | D．have an unfamiliar shape |
The willow tree described in the passage protected itself by ______.
| A．growing more branches | B．communicating with birds and bees |
| C．changing its leaf chemistry | D．shaking caterpillars off |
According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with other trees by ______.
| A．waving its branches | B．giving off a special smell |
| C．dropping its leaves | D．changing the colour of its trunk |
According to this passage, bees communicate by ______.
| A．making special movement | B．Telling one another |
| C．smelling one another | D．making unusual sound |