Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system．And that’s not a11．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming with
Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the
World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on
domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital
investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ．
| A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions |
| B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways |
| C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries |
| D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism |
According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is ．
| A．technical issues |
| B．safety of the system |
| C．financial problems |
| D．maintenance of railway tracks |
Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed
railway plan?
| A．Critical． | B．Reserved． | C．Doubtful | D．Positive． |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．New Railway Standards |
| B．Big Railway Dreams |
| C．High—speed Bullet Trains |
| D．International Railway Network |
Donna Simpson weighs more than 600 pounds and aims to reach 1，000 pounds．The New Jersey woman is carrying a series of activities to become the world’s fattest living woman，admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food．
Donna，who wears XXXXXXXL dresses, eats pounds of junk food and tries to move as little as possible．The 42-year-old woman is a model on a website，where a
dmirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating food or walking to the car．She appeare
d in TV interviews and
said she welcomed media coverage．
Simpson has submitted a claim to the Guinness World Records for the title of the world’s heaviest woman to give birth．Among the heaviest women ever recorded was one who reportedly weighed 1，800 pounds and another who reportedly weighed 1,200 pounds at the time of their
deaths．
You might expect her husband to advise her to lose weight，but it is the other way round．To achieve her goal，Donna says she will need to eat up to 12，000 calories a day，compared to 2000 calories that a normal woman needs．
When she came across the website which made very fat women widely known，she came to know there were many women faced with the same problems．And after she admitted her real size，e-mails from people poured in．They sent her gifts through the post，expressing their care
for her．Donna was not feeling sorry for her goal，though she might risk her own life in the process．However, some have a different voice in Donna’s behavior．They hold that it is more important to do something useful than to become popular．After all，there are so many children faced with the shortage of food throughout the world．.. One reason why Donna Simpson wants to be the heaviest woman is that.
| A．she is fond of challenging herself |
| B．she wants to advertise for food |
| C．she is crazy about public attention |
| D．she hopes to make fat women confident |
.. We can learn from the passage that．
| A．Simpson is much fatter than any other woman |
| B．Simpson’s videos can be watched on the Internet |
| C．Simpson has broken the Guinness World Record |
| D．Simpson’s husband is strongly against her plan |
.. What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Simpson will go on a diet to keep fit |
| B．There’s no way for one to reach 1000 pounds |
| C．Most people take pity on Simpson |
| D．Simpson will take measures to achieve her goal |
.. The author’s attitude towards Donna Simpson would be．
| A．negative | B．uncertain | C．encouraging | D．annoying |
.. What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Meet with the fattest person in the world |
| B．What’s the matter with Donna Simpson? |
| C．A US woman decided to be the world’s heaviest |
| D．The super-sized model planned to lose weight |
Trekking through the mists of the Huangshan mountains , I came upon a young man painting the scenery with traditional brush and ink on rice paper. He smiled proudly as he showed me his work. It was indeed quite beautiful for a painting , but it paled compared to the living scene before my eyes: mountaintops surrounded by light clouds, an endless dance of wind and fog that changes alternately in the dark hills beneath. How futile it must feel for a mere human being to try to capture that , I thought.
Yet for centuries ,these mountains in the heart of China have been a destination for artists and poets , who come to commune with nature in one of its more striking pose-and struggle to replicate its beauty. Along with the artists and poets come lovers ,who grasp locks symbolic of their undying love to the chain fences that protect hikers from the steep cliffs .Seventy miles of trials wind around 72peaks , the two majestic of which are Capital of Heaven and Lotus Flower.
In 1990 ,UNESCO declared Huangshan a Cultural and Natural Property , thereby ensuring that the area’s physical beauty will be preserved forever. Pheasant and deer abound. Hundreds of plants are said to heal the body and the famous hot springs are known for their healing qualities . An hour’s meditation in one of these pools is a great way to end a day of hiking .
The three staging areas for Huangshan visitors are Jade Screen, the Hot Spring area and the North Sea. The Xi Hai and Bei Hai ,located on different summits are three-star hotels serving Chinese and Western food as well as wine and liquor from East and West.
Huangshan may not be exactly off the beaten path , but it is on a road well worth taking. The writer thought the young man ‘s painting .
A not a bit beautiful B not as beautiful as the living scene
C more beautiful than the living scene D beautiful enough to caught the nature’s beauty Why would lovers like to grasp locks to the chain fences?
A because locks symbolize lovers’ forever love
B because locks can protect lovers from the cliffs
C because locks help lovers climb to the top quickly
D because locks contribute to enjoy nature easily What is the purpose of the passage?
A To introduce some hotels in Huangshan mountains
B To recommend Huangshan mountains to tourists
C To speak highly of the beauty of Huangshan mountains
D To stress the convenience to climb Huangshan mountains
Since the gene , called DAF-16 in worms, was found in many animals and in humans, the finding could open up new ways to affect aging ,immunity and resistance in humans the scientists said.
“We wanted to find out how normal aging is being governed by genes and what effect these genes have on other traits such as immunity,”said Robin May , who led the study.
Populations across the world are aging at a surprising pace , bring potentially big challenges for health and social care systems . A study by Danish scientists last year found that half of babies born in rich world today will live to celebrate their 100th birthday . Scientists are eager to find out how people age to try to develop drugs to help them stay healthier lives extend.
“What we have found is that things like resistance and aging tend go hand in hang “ May said in an interview
May’s team compared longevity ,stress resistance and immunity in four related species of worm. They also looked for differences in the activity of DAV-16 in each of the four species and found that they were all quite distinct.
May said DAF-16 was active in most cells in the body and was very similar to a group of human genes called FOXO genes , which scientists believe play a role in the aging process.“The fact that subtle differences in DAF-16 between species seem to have such an impact on aging and health is very interesting and many explain how differences in lifespan and related traits have arisen during evolution，”May saidIn which section may the text appear in a newspaper?
A Education B Science C Entertainment D Culture According to May ,
A resistance has a lot of to do with aging B FOXO genes can be found in worms
C genes play the same role in difference species D new drugs will change the genes in older peopleFrom the text we know that DAF-16
A is a gene that is only found in worms B can make people live longer
C has an effect on aging and immunity D has been quite familiar to scientists
How to make friends with people from a different culture? The rules are as follows:
Appreciate the person
Most Americans like to be recognized as individuals as someone special with unique, personalities. Therefore never say,“you are from America so I want to be your friend.” Also don’t imply that the reason why you approached them is that you wanted someone to practice your English with . That turns people off. Instead try saying,”“you seem like a real nice and interesting person and I would like to get to know you better .’ This way , they are much more inclined to be friendly because you see them as a three dimensional person and appreciate them for who they are in the inside . And by doing so , you not only learn about Americans and practice your English , but also gain a real friend in the process
Quit Calling Us Foreigners.
Please avoid calling a foreigner especially in his face . The word makes people feel like an outsider , and even unwelcome , suggesting separation and insurmountable difference , widening an already existing gap in the situation. When Americans travel , they rarely say,“I’m foreign to your place .” They tend to say ,”I’m new in tow
n . I’m new here.” The reason is because new and unfamiliar things can bec
ome old and familiar. But can foreign things become native? You catch my drift.
Just Do It .
Some students like to be told about American culture but are less interested in spending the time and effort to actually experience it .As Americans always say ,“get your hands dir
ty.” You should have first hands on experience, or you will never really know anything.
Find that Common Language.
Now I just must stress the importance of finding a common language. By that I don’t mean English, Chinese , German ,French,etc. I mean finding something you have in common with another person on a spiritual and philosophical level: likes , dislikes, worldviews, ways of thinking and attitudes toward life. And to start , you must first enhance your knowledge of the particular culture from which your potential The underlined sentence“get your hands dirty” means .
A get involved B talk about American culture C star with dirty wor
k D Don’t wash your hands too often Americans prefer to make friends with those who .
A avoid talking about their homeland B recognize their personalities
C obey rules of communicating with friends D needn’t practice English while playing togetherAccording to the passage , which of the following is friendly?
A I am longing to make friends with an American.
B This is my friend Tom , who is a foreigner.
C There must be a gap between us in many things.
D You ‘ve got a great personality In the last paragraph , the author suggests we should
A Learn at least one foreign language well
Bfind common interests or opinions with our potential new friend
C make sure we can understand each other
D ask where our potential new friends come from
In their book Time to Eat the Dog : The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, Robort and Breanda Vale say keeping a medium-sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,0
00 km a year in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.
“We ‘re not actually saying it is time to eat the dog .We are just saying that we need to think about and know the ecological impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted.”
Constructing and driving the jeep for a year requires 0.41hectares of land ,while growing and manufacturing a dog’s food takes about 0.84 hectares or 1.1hectares in the case of a large dog such as a German shepherd.
Convincing flesh-eating cats and dogs to go vegetarian for the sake of the planet is a non-starter,
The Vales say .Instead they recommend keeping greener, smaller, and more sustainable pets ,such as goldfish, chickens or rabbits.
The book ‘s playful title, and serious suggestion that pet animals may be usefully recycled, by being eaten by their owners or turned into pet food when they die ,may not appeal to animal fans .
Annoying as the idea may be, the question is valid given the planet’s growing population and limited resources, Robert vale said.
“Issues about sustainability are increasingly becoming things that are going to require us to make choices which are as difficult as eating your dog . It’s not just about changing your light bulbs or taking a cloth bag to the supermarket,” he said
It about much more challenging and difficult issues, he added . Once you see where cats and dogs fit in your overall balance of things , you might decide to have the cat but not also to have two cars and three bathrooms and be a meat eater yourself.. The authors gave their book the playful title to.
A make it amusing B create a vivid image
C show writing skills D arouse people’s concern . In Paragraph 3 the writer mainly wants to tell us .
A the amou
nt of consumed land B the neglected ecological impact
C some familiar examples D some actual figures. What does “sustainability” mean according to the passage?
A Going vegetarian B Raising cats and dogs
C Using a cloth bag D Keeping a greener life. Who may not the idea of “recycling” pet animal?
A Manufactures B Drivers C Animal fans D The authorities. Wha
t do the authors thing of living a sustainable life?
A Challenging B Inspiring C Inviting D Touching