From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized (免疫) from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and medical treatment. It is almost certain that one day cures will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable slaughter (屠杀) of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel (方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and absolutely selfish. All their hidden disappointments and regrets seem to be brought by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost impossible to live in because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world system of laws were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. As for driving, the laws of some countries are not strict and even the strictest are not strict enough. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can affect a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be introduced on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications (规范) for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately severe. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.The main idea of this passage is _________.
A.Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists. |
B.Thousands of people the world over are killed each year. |
C.The laws of some countries about driving are not too strict. |
D.Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents. |
What does the author think of society toward motorists?
A.Society laughs at the motorists. |
B.Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns. |
C.Victims of accidents are nothing. |
D.Society forgives their rude driving. |
Why does the author say: “his car becomes the extension of his personality?”
A.Driving can show his real self. |
B.Driving can show the other part of his personality. |
C.Driving can bring out his character. |
D.His car can express his temper. |
Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
A.Build more highways. | B.Make stricter driving tests |
C.Test drivers every three years. | D.Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications. |
The attitude of the author is _________.
A.ironical | B.critical | C.appealing | D.favorable |
Yesterday the police were joined by more than 20 volunteers in the continuing search for the two missing teenagers, Vicky Gray and Tom Hunter, and their guide, Gavin Jones. The police said that they had disappeared during an adventure tour of Cape York Peninsula.
This was the second day of the search and the police were now very worried about the safety of the three missing people.
The police said that the search had covered a wide area, but the rainforest was thick and their work was made harder by the recent rain. Later on Chief Inspector Roger Fleet said, “The travelers had a radio with them. If they had been in trouble, they would have called us.”
The three travelers left Cooktown very early on Saturday morning in a Toyota car. They took a small dirt road that runs down to the Daintree River, a dangerous river full of crocodiles (鳄鱼). Chief Inspector Roger Fleet said the tourists wouldn’t have got into trouble if they had stayed on the main road.
A photo of Vicky and Tom was found by a policeman under the “Be Careful about crocodiles” sign near the river. Why was the photo left behind? This is just one of the unanswered questions. Other questions are: Why was the photo left behind? Why was the Toyota parked and locked at the edge of the rainforest? The police said that the travelers had left a map of the area behind. Why? Why had someone drawn a cross on the point (地点) where the car is? Is this a sign? What does it mean? If anyone can give information or has seen these three young people, contact the local police in Cooktown.This article is probably taken from ___________
A.a newspaper | B.a magazine | C.a storybook | D.a guidebook |
Which of the following things wasn’t found by the police?
A.A touring map. | B.A photo of the travelers. |
C.The travelers’ radio. | D.The travelers’ car |
All the following are unanswered questions except_____________.
A.why they left a photo behind | B.why they came to this area |
C.why their Toyota was parked in the place | D.why a cross was drawn on the map |
The article asks people to _____________.
A.join the police in searching for the missing people |
B.tell the police about the travelers’ ages and their appearance |
C.learn the lesson and stop taking adventure tours |
D.provide information about the missing people |
We are often asked to make a speech in life. Most of us are afraid of it and don’t do a good job. Here are some simple steps to make your speech a successful one. First of all, find out everything you can about your subject and at the same time find out as much as you can about your audience. Who are they? What do they know about your subject? Put yourself in their shoes as you prepare your speech. Then try to arrange your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads or talk down to them. When you are giving your speech, speak slowly and clearly, look at your audience and pause for a few seconds from time to time to give your audience chances to think over what you’ve said. Just remember: be prepared, know your subject and your audience, say what you have to say and be yourself so that your ideas will bring you and your audience together.When he is giving his speech, the speaker should ________________.
A.let his eyes rest on the subject | B.follow the audience step by step |
C.face the audience in a natural way | D.look up and sown from time to time |
During the course of a speech, it is not right for a speaker to ____________.
A.think nothing of the audience | B.speak in a clear voice |
C.take a short stop at times | D.give a lot of examples |
What does the underlined word “pause” mean in the passage?
A.listen | B.stop | C.choose | D.search |
Which title best gives the main idea of the passage?
A.How to Remember the Audience |
B.How to Pick out the Topic for a Speech |
C.How to Prepare the Material for a Speech |
D.How to Improve Your Speech |
Do you want to have a friend whom you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts? Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or just can’t understand what you are going through?
Anne Frank chose the first kind. She lived in Amsterdam during World War II. Her family was Jewish (犹太人) so they had to hide, or they would be caught by the German soldiers. She and her family hid away for two years before they were discovered. During this time the only true friend was her diary, which she called Kitty.
In a diary dated on Thursday 15 June, 1944, she wrote, “Dear Kitty, I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so mad about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me puzzled. That’s changed since I was here for a year and a half.”In Anne’s opinion, the best friend is one who_______.
A.knows everything | B.likes to talk with you |
C.can read your diary | D.can understand you |
Who do you think Kitty is ?
A.Anne’s sister. | B.Anne’s mother | C.Anne’s teacher | D.Anne’s diary |
Anne had grown so mad about nature. Maybe it was because ______.
A.she had been indoors too long | B.she had no interest in nature |
C.she had always been such a girl | D.she had got used to living alone |
In her diary on Thursday 15, June, 1944, Anne expressed her strong wish for ______.
A.friendship | B.schooling | C.free life | D.free weather |
There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water. The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin(弄坏) this coat. If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time.
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made. They do not always fit better. Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that ______.
A.don’t fit you | B.don’t last long |
C.need to be dry cleaned | D.can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you______.
A.how to keep them looking their best |
B.how to save money |
C.whether they fit you or not |
D.where to get them dry cleaned |
We learn from the passage that cheaper clothes ______.
A.are always worse made | B.must be dry cleaned |
C.can not be washed | D.can sometimes fit you better |
The best title for the passage should be ______.
A.Buy Less Expensive Clothes |
B.Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
C.Being a Clever Clothes Shopper |
D.Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
When friends come to visit us in the evening, they spend their time telling us they are in a hurry and looking at their watches. It isn’t that our friends are all very busy, it is just that we haven’t got a television. People think that we are very strange. “But what do you do in the evening?”,they are always asking. The answer is very simple. Both my wife and I have hobbies. We certainly don’t spend our evenings staring at the walls. My wife enjoys cooking and painting and often attends evening classes in foreign languages. This is particularly useful as we often go abroad for our holidays. I collect stamps and I’m always busy with my collection. Both of us enjoy listening to the music and playing chess together.
Sometimes there are power cuts and we have no electricity in the house. This does not worry us, we just light candles and carry on with what we were doing before. Our friends, however, are lost---no television!---So they don’t know what to do. On such evenings our house is very full ---they all come to us. They all have a good time. Instead of sitting in silence in front of the television, everybody talks and plays games. The couple have not got a television, because .
A.they are not rich enough |
B.they are strange people |
C.they enjoy spending evenings in their own ways |
D.they don’t know what to do when there are power cuts |
Both of them are interested in.
A.learning languages | B.traveling |
C.staying home alone | D.watching people play games |
At night when there is no electricity, the couple.
A.have to stare at the walls | B.can do nothing but sit in silence |
C.will have many visitors | D.have to go out for candles |
The best title for this passage is _____.
A.Why Do We Need a Television? | B.Candle! But No Electricity! |
C.Different Friends, Different Hobbies. | D.We Go Without Televisions! |