B
Pingyao, located (坐落于) in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage (遗产) site. It is 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.
People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a county government seat (县衙) has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商业的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang (Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks (支票) rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch (分支) banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its lacquer ware (漆器) became well known as well.
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.
In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “World Culture Heritage Site”(世界文化遗产). What does the underlined word “them” (in Paragraph 2) refer to?
A.Historic buildings and sites. | B.The three temples. |
C.The county government seats. | D.The 2,700-year history. |
Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Its location. | B.Its tourism. | C.Its business. | D.Its history. |
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in _____.
A.growing rice and corn . | B.raising cattle. |
C.commercial trade. | D.making gold coins. |
If you want to know about the history of banking in China, which of the following places should you visit?
A.Sunrise Prosperity. | B.Zhengguo Temple. |
C.A lacquer ware store. | D.A commercial house. |
第三部分阅读技能 (共三节,满分40分)
第一节阅读理解(共12小题;每小题2分,满分24分)阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
(A)
The following is a timetable in Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Airline |
Flight Number |
Destination |
Departure |
Gate |
Air Canada |
137 |
Beijing |
10:12 a.m. |
24 |
Japanese Airlines |
320 |
Tokyo |
10:30 a.m. |
18 |
British Airways |
405 |
Paris |
11:00 a.m. |
20 |
Pan American |
226 |
London |
11:20 a.m. |
12 |
Pan American |
12 |
Beijing |
11:43 a.m. |
15 |
Air Canada |
178 |
Tokyo |
12:32 a.m. |
21 |
CAAC |
289 |
Hong Kong |
12:32 a.m. |
14 |
CAAC |
314 |
Moscow |
12:45 a.m. |
18 |
British Airways |
230 |
New York |
12:55 a.m. |
23 |
1 A man wants to take Flight 178 to Tokyo. Which gate should he go to?
A. 14 B. 28 C. 21 D. 18
2. Lisa is at gate 23. Where is she going?
A. Paris B. Beijing C. Tokyo D. New York
3. Now it’s 10: 40. Mary is at gate 20. Which airline’s plane will she take?
A. British Airways B. Japanese Airlines C. Pan American D. Air Canada
4. Gate _______ is the busiest among all these gates.
A. 23 B. 18 C. 24D. 15
SINGAPORE - Singapore on Thursday stuck to its I8-year ban on the import and sale of chewing gum (口香糖), which has become an international symbol of the city-state's image as a strict society.
"The government stands by its decision to ban chewing gum. Chewing gum has not been a significant problem since that ban took effect, there have been concerns that lifting the ban on chewing gum could result in chewing gum litter and weaken ongoing efforts to control littering." Maliki Osman, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of National Development, told parliament.
Osman said as the reason for the imposition (强迫接受) of the ban is still suitable, "the government's position is that the ban shall remain." He was responding to a question in parliament from Denise Phua, a fellow member of the ruling People's Action Party who argued that the ban had been used to criticize its tough governance laws.
"I think this ban ... now needs a re-thinking. Surely Singapore will not consider banning sweets because of sweet wrapper litter or ice-cream stick litter," she said.
Singapore, known worldwide for its high-quality clean image, banned the import and sale of chewing gum in 1992 in a bid to cope with the problem of people sticking the gum on chairs, tables, lifts and other public areas.
One of the key reasons for the ban had been the disturbance of services on Singapore's subway train system because of chewing gum being stuck on the doors and causing delays. Singapore partially lifted the ban in 2004 by allowing the sale of chewing gum used for health reasons, such as dental health gum, after the conclusion of a US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
Australian tourist Hazel Lane, 48, said keeping the ban on chewing gum was sure Singaporeans wouldn't want to spoil their "ridiculous" and she told AFP that she's own environment and their own image. Angel Wong, 34, a tourist from Hong Kong, however, welcomed the news. She said, "I come from a country that doesn't have the ban and there's always chewing gum all over the floor, To me the ban doesn't change my image of Singapore so it’s a good thing because it keeps the environment clean."
1. The ban on the import and sale of chewing gum was started in 1992 ______.
A. when people began to buy the gum everywhere
B. to bid to stop people sticking the gum in the public
C. because the gum delayed the subway
D. when the country was in a bid to show its city-state's clean image
2. What can we learn about the ban according to Maliki Osman?
A. The government will keep it ongoing forever.
B. It will lead to littering the chewing gum everywhere.
C. More and more concerns about the ban will make chewing gum out of control
D. Banning chewing gum is still one of the important jobs of the government now.
3. According to what Denise Phua said in paragraph 4, we can know that she ______.
A. would say yes to the ban
B. would think more about the ban again
C. would like the government to take the ban on second thought D. argued that the ban should be cancelled
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. whether the ban needs changing or not has become a problem to be discussed
B. Singapore's subway train system was delayed by chewing gum
C. chewing gum will soon be banned in many countries
D. only the ban has led to the friendly environment in Singapore
5. What's the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. There is such a ban in China and Australia.
B. Different people have their own ideas about the ban.
C. The ban is either welcomed by China or by Australia.
D. The ban does good to keep the environment clean.
Child models are very much in demand all across the world. Many magazines and online stores that sell products for children like their models young. For this reason, they seek out children who can model clothing and have no problem posing (摆姿势)and smiling for the camera. Those who are seeking out child models for thelr advertising can go to online modeling sites and view pictures of children who are web models. They can take a look at their portfolio(整套照片)and decide whether they will accept them.
Parents who are seeking to get their children into the modeling business can also create a portfolio for their children and put them online. They can look for jobs for their chldren through an online modeling site, or they can wait for job offers for their children. These online sites act as web modeling agency for models young and old alike. Anyone who has the desire to be a model can get a portfoilo together and join the site.
If you have a child who you want to be a model, you should first start a portfolio for him or her and then join an online modeling agency. Once you join the agency, you can then start to look for jobs, clients(客户)will post jobs that can be found in the search. You can look for jobs for young models and see if your child will fit what the client is looking for. In many cases, the client will send clothing for the child to wear and a descriptlon of poses and the job can be done close to home.
Online modeling agencies are not only for child models. Older models, teen models, men and women can model for these sites. A great deal of the modeling is for online websites. This is an entirely new field in the world of modeling and much easier to get into than the older modeling agencies. There is no traveling or expensive photo shoots needed. All that is needed to make children into models is a nice portfolio and a photogenic(上相的)child.
1. Child models are needed to____________.
A. create more job offers
B. set the fashion for children
C. increase the sales of child products
D. manage online stores that sell teen magazines
2.The underlined Word "they" in Paragraph 1 refers to_______.
A. parents B. chld models
C. online modeling sites D. people looking for child models for advertising
3. What should parents do if they’d like their children to become models?
A. Train them to hold special poses. B. Choose them beautiful clothes.
C. Take expensive photos of them. D. Put their portfolio on online modeling sites.
4. Why are online modeling agencise popular?
A. Because they are easily accessible to most people.
B. Because they charge no fees for their service.
C. Because this is an entirely new field.
D. Because this can make a child more photogenic.
5.This passage is mainly about______.
A. a growing need for child models B. an increase in modeling agencies
C. the change in the world of modeling D. the attraction of the world of modeling
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each'passage1 is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices' marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Short reader – submitted stories – for the woman you should think of today!
——Compiled by Amy Zerello
Great Minds Reminded of Mom
After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home. On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire. If that were his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her. With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back.
Just as he reached the stranded woman, a truck pulled up and a burly farmer got out. "Kindof reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for the woman.
-- Contributed by Katherine L. Houge
Your Biggest Fan
While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written. The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put them down." Before I could reply, the author frowning, looked over and said, "Oh, come on, Mom!"
-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp
Head of the Household
My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk. The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行业术语), which confused us even more.
"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."
"Okay," the computer technician replied. "Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"
-- Contributed by Lena Worth
How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?
Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $ 300!
1.Who would the burly man be in the first joke?
A.Another kind helper. B.The old lady’s son.
C.Allen’s friend. D.A policeman.
2.What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?
A.Push hard to get her daughter’s signature.
B.Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.
C.Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.
D.Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.
3.The computer technician on the phone in the third story .
A.actually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems
B.teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon
C.wanted to talk to Lena instead
D.believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon
4.What is the main purpose of the jokes?
A.To make fun of moms. B.To honor moms.
C.To educate moms. D.To amuse moms.
5.The passage is most possibly found.
A.in a storybook B.in a commercial ad
C.in a magazine D.in a student’s textbook
Imagine you’re at a party full of strangers. You’re nervous. Who are these people? How do you start a conversation? Fortunately, you’ve got a thing that sends out energy at tiny chips in everyone’s name tag. The chips send back name, job, hobbies, and the time available for meeting-whatever. Making new friends becomes simple.
This hasn’t quite happened in real life. But the world is already experiencing a revolution using RFID technology.
An RFID tag with a tiny chip can be fixed in a product, under your pet’s skin, even under your own skin. Passive RFID tags have no energy source-batteries because they do not need it. The energy comes from the reader, a scanning device, that sends out energy (for example, radio waves) that starts up the tag immediately.
Such a tag carries information specific to that object, and the data can be updated. Already, RFID technology is used for recognizing each car or truck on the road and it might appear in your passport. Doctors can put a tiny chip under the skin that will help locate and obtain a patient’s medical records. At a nightclub in Paris or in New York the same chip gets you into the VIP (very important person) section and pays for the bill with the wave of an arm.
Take a step back:10 or 12 years ago, you would have heard about the coming age of computing. One example always seemed to surface: Your refrigerator would know when you needed to buy more milk. The concept was that computer chips could be put everywhere and send information in a smart network that would make ordinary life simpler.
RFID tags are a small part of this phenomenon. “The world is going to be a loosely coupled set of individual small devices, connected wirelessly,” predicts Dr.J.Reich. Human right supporters are nervous about the possibilities of such technology. It goes too far tracking school kids through RFID tags, they say. We imagine a world in which a beer company could find out not only when you bought a beer but also when you drank it. And how many beers. Accompanied by how many biscuits.
When Marconi invented radio, he thought it would be used for ship-to-shore communication, not for pop music. Who knows how RFID and related technologies will be used in the future. Here’s a wild guess: Not for buying milk.
1. The article is intended to .
A. warn people of the possible risks in adopting RFID technology
B. explain the benefits brought about by RFID technology
C. convince people of the uses of RFID technology
D. predict the applications of RFID technology
2. We know from the passage that with the help of RFID tags, people________.
A. will have no trouble getting data about others
B. will have more energy for conversation
C. will have more time to make friends
D. won’t feel shy at parties any longer
3. Passive RFID tags chiefly consist of _______.
A. scanning devices B. radio waves
C. batteries D. chips
4. Why are some people worried about RFID technology?
A. Because children will be tracked by strangers.
B. Because market competition will become more fierce.
C. Because their private lives will be greatly affected.
D. Because customers will be forced to buy more products.
5. The last paragraph implies that RFID technology________.
A. will not be used for such matters as buying milk
B. will be widely used, including for buying milk
C. will be limited to communication uses
D. will probably be used for pop music