New York, the city that never sleeps, fell silent last week—schools were closed; bus and subway services were stopped; flights were canceled, and even the stock market closed for the first time since 1985. All the disorder was caused by one thing, the arrival of hurricane Sandy.
This big storm landed on Oct 29 on the US east coast and brought damaging winds, flooding, blackouts (停电) and heavy snow.
Sandy is one of the largest storms that have ever hit the US, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By the afternoon of Nov1 (Beijing time), about 140 deaths were caused by the storm as it traveled across the Caribbean islands and into the US.
Unlike most hurricanes that happen during summer, Sandy was strengthened not only by warm ocean water, but also by the cold air coming from the northwest. Sandy’s power grew because of the difference in masses between the warm and wet air and cool and dry air. It became a kind of “super-storm”, the Guardian reported.
The flooding was particularly severe. Scientists said it was because Sandy’s arrival happened together with a full moon, which normally means higher-than-usual tides (潮水).
“The most worrying aspect of Sandy is the high tides,” Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee told Reuters before the storm arrived. “With the full moon on Monday, with Sandy coming up the bay, we’re very concerned about flooding in our low-lying coastal areas.”
Apart from the power of Sandy itself, another reason why her arrival has caused so much damage is that its target area is crowded with big cities such as New York and Philadelphia. These urban areas are home to tens of millions of people. The flood, the snow and the blackout have brought the country’s financial and political centers to a stop.
“The size of this alone, affecting a heavily populated area, is history making.” Said Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist. The author mentioned the disorder in New York city at the beginning of the article to _______.
| A．remind us of the problems people might face when disaster strikes |
| B．introduce the disastrous influence of hurricane Sandy |
| C．criticize the poor management of the city by the New York government |
| D．prove New York suffered most from hurricane Sandy |
According to the text, hurricane Sandy _______.
| A．only got its power from the warm ocean water |
| B．grew stronger than other hurricanes because of the full moon |
| C．led to flooding in many cities around the US |
| D．brought with it strong winds, high tides, blackouts and heavy snowfall |
From the article, we learn that areas hurricane Sandy targeted _______.
| A．were mostly high land |
| B．were mostly near the sea |
| C．were far away from important cities |
| D．were empty as people were evacuated (疏散) |
What is the main point of the article?
| A．To show how a super-storm comes into being. |
| B．To explain why hurricane Sandy was so destructive. |
| C．To show that big cities in the US are easily affected by huge hurricanes. |
| D．To explore the best ways to avoid loss when a hurricane hits. |
If you’ve ever seen a James Bond movie you’ll know that the hero gets around in a smart Aston Martin car. Even if you know full well that you could never afford such an expensive vehicle, you don’t forget the name, or the car. Why? You have been subjected to product placement.
Companies pay for a film to place their products in the movie. Product placement took off in the West in the 1980s and is now catching on in China. Two Hunan Satellite TV series are recent examples：Ugly Wudi and Let’s Go Watch the Meteror Shower（《一起去看流星雨》）. Shampoo, mobile phones, cars— anything can be product-placed. Advertisers value the great appeal (吸引力) of the movies, knowing that a successful film can showcase their goods to hundreds of thousands of viewers. But when product placement takes over, artistic value can take a back seat.
Cai Zhiyong has been product-placing for years. The Beijing-based advertiser admits there is a conflict between art and business. He explains cash-strapped filmmakers often have to sacrifice (牺牲) the quality of their work because they need money from advertisers. In the original story for Meteor Shower, the heroine’s mother owned an ice cream shop. But no ice cream company wanted to give away money to the film. For this reason, the story was changed. In the film the man drinks 20 cups of milk tea where it was originally intended that he would eat ice cream.
Even here incredible, you may see the power of business over the movies, since the flim was perhaps written so that a product could be placed— whether it was ice cream or milk tea.
James Bond movies are mentioned in the first paragraph to show _________.
A. how popular James Bond is B. how great the Aston Martin car is
C. how to make a movie more artistic D. how well product placement works
Product placement can have a bad effect on the _________ of a movie.
A. sound effect B. appeal
C. commercial success D. artistic value
What does the underlined word “cash-strapped” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Short of money. B. Self-moneymaking
C. With a lot of cash. D. Intending to earn money
We can learn from the example of Meteor Shower that __________.
A. business has a big say in the movie
B. the original story was not good for a movie
C. filmmakers care more about making money.
D. milk tea companies are more successful than ice cream companies.
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile ( 简介 ) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the futu
re, and so on. A photograph is not necessary, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many In
ternet dating sites will charge some for using their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in traditional dating and love, there are some traps to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Therefore, following some tips should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
The purpose of writing the passage is to _________.
A. persuade readers to go dating on the Internet
B. inform us how to date on the Internet
C. warn readers against web love
D. introduce Internet dating to us
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
A. A photo. B. A profile.
C. Money. D. Business experience.
One advantage of Internet dating is that _________.
A. you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning
B. you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests
C. you’ll find absolutely dependable information of others
D. you’ll gain fame and money overnight
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
A. Traditional dating. B. Hidden advantages.
C. practical advice D. Romantic love.
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers. People have been said to climb on roofs, solve maths problems, write music, walk through w
indows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Masachusctts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three—quarters of a mile to the lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims(声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty—five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers.”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes looks quite fantastic(奇特的
). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who __________.
A. climb on roofs
B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleep D. walk in a half—awake state
It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left
home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
There was a college student who got into the habit of ___________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three—quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
Why do people think sleepwalking is a fantastic thing which has no explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not ask for help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
E
Cafe Hub
Near the Castle is The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and one of the most talked about spots in town. Our café is open every day for mouth-watering lunches, snacks and fine dining. Come in and enjoy the atmosphere of The Hub or watch the world go by from our beautiful house.
The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
Open every day from 9:30 a.m. till late.
Tel:0131173 2067 www.thehub-edinburgh.com
Farm World
Enjoy being“A Farmer for a Day”. Join in delivering and feeding our spring babies—bottle feeding sessions twice daily. Fun for all family. Horse Rides, BMX Bikes Cross Country Course. Tractor Ride through 600 acres, New Adventure Playground, Nature Trails. Full details on website.
Open: May—Oct Wednesdays to Saturdays and daily during school holidays 11 a.m.—5 p.m.
Tel:01797 260256/260321 www.farmworldrye.co.uk
Enter the Europe-wide student competition!
Are you curious, creative and energetic? Are you interested in the new media? Are you between 12 and 9 years of age? Then Join Multimedia 2006 is for you!
Your challenge will be to build a team and develop a multimedia presentation in English-based on one of three different topics. You can register (报名) between May 1 and June 15, 2006 and will have to turn in your entry before September 15, 2006.
The rewards are wonderful: £ 150,000 in prize for schools and teams and the chance to attend a European student camp—plus new experiences, an opportunity to make friends throughout Europe!
For further information and registration forms go to: www.siemens.com/join. multimedia.
72.You’ll have to register first if you want .
A. to enjoy delicious food
B. to try Tractor Ride through 600 acres
C. to enter the Europe-wide student competition
D. to watch the world go by from the beautiful house
73.According to the passage, there will be rewards for the Europe-wide student competition.
A. only one B. two C. three D. four
74.You can visit Farm World .
A. on Monday in May B. any day in October
C. at 2 p.m. at Christmas D. at 10:30 a.m. during school holidays
75.From the advertisements above, we can learn that .
A. Cafe Hub is a popular place in the local area
B. families can enjoy Horse Rides on New Adventure Playground
C. Farm World provides lunches, snacks and fine dining
D. the Europe-wide student competition will be held on June 15,2006
D
I know what you’re thinking: pizza（比萨饼）? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a.m. if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast（不吃早餐）, and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don’t have time; others think they’re “saving” calories（卡路里）；still others just don’t like breakfast food .
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking R.D., who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers—it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it. You may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
68. The word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means_______.
A. food remaining after a meal B. things left undone
C. meals made of vegetables D. pizza topped with fruit
69. What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.
C. There are some easy ways of cooking a meal.
D. Eating vegetables helps save energy.
70. According to the last paragraph, it is important to________.
A. eat something for breakfast B. be careful about what you eat
C. heat up food before eating it D. eat calorie-controlled food
71. The text is written mainly for those________.
A. who go to work early B. who want to lose weight
C. who stay up late D. who eat before sleep