However urban life strikes you, cities worldwide have been growing ever more rapidly. Some of this growth has occurred in the developed world, but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World. Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries
By the year 2030, for the first time in history, 60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities.
This is actually good news in some ways. “Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity,” says Marc Weiss, chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development, “ both for the nation and for families.” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in most countries of the world“ there’s the crazy notion that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them,”Weiss continued. “But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city.” For better or worse, urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities. Those cities will be bigger than ever. And yet, population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects; after all, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Hamburg, Germany, have the same population. Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor. “City problems,” one authority points out, “mostly have to do with weak, ineffective, and usually unrepresentative city governments.”The passage mainly discusses ______________.
| A．Big cities. | B．City life. | C．Population. | D．Gross Domestic Product. |
According to the passage, in the year of 2030 _______.
| A．there will be 21 cities having a population of more than 10 million. |
| B．rural area will be extinct. |
| C．most people will live in cities. |
| D．the third world will keep abreast with the developed world. |
In the author’s opinion, _________.
| A．better city, better life |
| B．both urban and rural areas have a larger population |
| C．the larger population, the faster a city develops |
| D．both urban and rural areas have larger gross domestic products |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The developing countries develop faster than the developed countries. |
| B．Cities contribute more to the GDP than the villagers. |
| C．Some problems are more easily solved in cities than in country. |
| D．It’s impossible to solve urban problems by getting people out of cities. |
The last paragraph implies that ____________.
| A．Public services are ineffective. |
| B．Cities are increasing too fast. |
| C．Population is not linked with development. |
| D．Government should be responsible for the problems in the cities. |
In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water(自来水) before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing times for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Servings in restaurants are often large, too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself. Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.Which statement is TRUE?
| A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know. |
| B．A hostess always seats a small group at a large table. |
| C．American people never sit with people they don’t know. |
| D．American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking. |
What is served before you order?
| A．Bread | B．Butter | C．Coffee | D．Cold water |
What are the opening and closing times for stores and restaurants in the US?
| A．There are no rules about opening and closing times for stores and restaurants. |
| B．Stores may be open 24 hours a day in every city. |
| C．Especially in large cities, stores may be open around the clock. |
| D．You can enter a bar at any time in the US. |
1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera (照相机).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different processs. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travellers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, the process was improved. Now photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States, where from the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.
Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.
Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible
In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film readymade in rolls. So they did not have to make the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later, meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.
With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favourite places. They called these pictures "snapshots".
Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawings.
Photography had turned into a form of art by the beginning of the 20th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.The passage is mainly about______________.
| A．the invention of cameras |
| B．a kind of new art -- photography |
| C．the development of photography |
| D．the different uses of cameras in history |
The first pictures of a war were taken by ____________.
| A．a French photographer in the 1840s |
| B．an American photographer in the 1860s |
| C．a German reporter in the 1880s |
| D．a French artist in the 1890s |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the photography in the 19th century?
| A．It was mainly based on the invention of the first photograph. |
| B．Photographers were popular in the United States because they carried lots of equipment. |
| C．Photographers used to make film themselves and developed it immediately after taking a photo. |
| D．Small handheld cameras made it possible for anyone to become a gifted photographer. |
In which order are the following statements mentioned in the passage?
a. Photographs became popular in newspapers.
b. Photographers carried processing equipment when taking pictures.
c. The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.
d. Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.
e. Brady took pictures of famous people.
| A．e,a, d, b, c | B．d, b, e, c, a |
| C．b, e, c, a, d | D．d, c, e, a , b |
Photography can also be an art form because artists can ____________.
| A．take anything they like |
| B．keep a record of real life |
| C．take photos of the famous |
| D．show ideas and feelings in pictures |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants,who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool． When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don`t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile`s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn`t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish`s skin．“Cleaner”fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other |
| C．get their food | D．Take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that．
| A． dust can dry their fur and skin |
| B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them |
| D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we earl know that．
| A．some animals can get clean from others`help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．small animals couldn`t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the wrasse
| A．is often eaten by other fish |
| B．1ikes under other fish`s skin |
| C．is a small kind of fish |
| D．1ikes taking baths |
Moving to a new city and state was difficult for me, especially in winter. Little did I know that a Colorado snowstorm would greet me after I had been in my new home for only a week.
I just missed home. But more than the old house and the beach, I missed Stacey, my best friend. And I missed our lovely tea. Going to a sweet little tearoom, we had discovered was a special treat for us. The place was a Victorian dream, with delicate teacups and tablecloths with flower prints. The hat shelf near the front door swept us back to childhood. Stacey and I became little girls, trying on different hats until we found the perfect one for our dress-up tea party. We would then choose a lovely table and order our tea. That was a precious time, filled with laughter between scones（煎饼） and sharing our lives between tiny cucumber sandwiches.
Springtime descended upon Denver, and the sun lightened my heart. But I still fought loneliness almost every day. I decided to explore the Denver area. While my husband went to the office, I took time to see what our new area had to offer.
One day, I was walking along the street when suddenly the words "Tea Leaves" caught my eye. A tea room? Here, in the land of loneliness and pain?
I walked through the doors, and tears came to my eyes. It was a beautiful room, not Victorian, but simple and lovely.
I sat down and ordered a pot of tea, a cucumber sandwich, and some scones.It felt silly and wonderful --- and it felt like home. For the first time since moving, I felt as if this new city and state could be, would eventually be, my home. I would come back here and bring new friends. When Stacey visited, we would come here.
I lifted my cup and made a silent toast. I toasted Stacey, whom I missed ly, and I toasted the sweet little tearoom that lessened my pain. The author's hometown ______________.
| A．never snows |
| B．is still warm in winter |
| C．has a long history |
| D．is in an area by the sea |
The underlined word "treat" in Paragraph 2 probable means ____________.
| A．delicious food | B．something pleasant |
| C．service | D．a kind of tea party |
We can know from Paragraph 3 that the author ______________.
| A．didn't adapt to the new life |
| B．felt comfortable in the new environment in spring |
| C．didn't feel lonely any more in spring |
| D．wanted to actively adapt to the new environment |
Which of the following about "Tea Leaves" is true?
| A．It made the author recall her childhood. |
| B．It looks silly and wonderful. |
| C．Cucumber sandwiches and scones are its specialties. |
| D．It touched the author. |
We can infer from the text that the author would probably ____________.
| A．open her own teahouse |
| B．ask the owner of the teahouse to decorate it like a home |
| C．make new friends in Denver |
| D．go back to her hometown to visit Stacey |
Ways to Deal with the Problem of Energy
There are different ways in which people try to deal with the problem of energy.One way is the greater production of common energy sources,such as coal,oil and gas.The trouble with these sources,however,is that they are not renewable.
Another way is energy conservation(节能),which means using energy more efficiently.In some very cold countries people build special houses to save energy.They place materials between the inside and the outside of the walls of the house to keep the cold out and warmth in.The house is heated by the lights,the body heat of the people and the other equipment in it.
Finally,renewable energy sources are used even though they are often expensive to develop.One form of these is geothermal energy.In certain parts of the world the temperature of the earth increases thirty degrees centigrate with each kilometer down.At six kilometers,therefore,it rises to nearly 200degrees.To get the heat,water is pumped down into the rocks and back up to the surface.Heat from the earth is already used in certain countries.The writer tells about “the special houses”because they______.
| A．show the excellent skills of the builders |
| B．serve as an example of the energy conservation |
| C．are heated by different sources of energy |
| D．are warmer than other types of energy |
The underlaned words”geothermal energy”in the third paragraph mean____.
| A．renewable source | B．underground source |
| C．heat inside the earth | D．temperature of the earth |
At a place where the surface temperature is 15degrees centigrade,how deep do you have to dig so as to get a temperature of 75 degrees centigrade?
| A．One km. | B．Two km. | C．Three km. | D．Four km. |