Letters to the next president
Dear Mr. President:
I would like to personally thank you for your time and concern for our great country. I would like to take a few minutes to address a few concerns that I have with the United States.
First of all, I would like to address the war. In my opinion, we should have never been involved with Iraq to the extent that we are now. I believe we should pull our troops out. However, I think there should be a time table that we follow but the time table should not be released（发布） because the enemy does not need to know when we are going to pull out. Also, the war takes out a ton of our money, which leads me to my next issue.
The economy right now, in the opinion of many Americans is the biggest issue with which we are facing right now. No one can predict what will happen one day or the next. The obvious thing to do is to put 700 billion dollars in the economy, but that bill failed and was rejected by the House of Representatives(众议院). Instead of putting 700 billion dollars in, I think the money should be equally distributed among Americans to pay off their debts. I'm not sure if this would work, but I think it is a positive alternative(替代) we could take.
My final issue I would like to call to your attention is teacher's salaries. The high school students of today are America's future. In a way, America's future depends greatly on the high school teachers of America. Saying this, it is sad that teacher's salaries are where they are. While teachers are working harder and harder every day to teach high school students, CEO's of big companies that are driving our countries economy into the ground are getting bonuses. I'm not saying that teacher's salaries should be the same of CEO's of companies, but I do strongly believe that action should be taken to increase the salaries of teachers because they have one of the most important jobs in America - - preparing our country for the future.
Once again, thank you for your time and your effort you put in to making this great country a better place.
Sincerely, WalkerWhat's the author's attitude towards the Iraq War?
| A．Supportive | B．Objective(客观的) | C．Negative | D．Positive |
What's true about the time of pulling the troops out?
| A．We should pull the troops out without delay. |
| B．There is no need to have a time table to follow. |
| C．The public has the fight to know the time table. |
| D．We should keep the time secret from the enemy. |
According to the author, the 700 billion dollars__________
| A．is the biggest issue with which we are facing right now. |
| B．has been accepted by the House of Representatives. |
| C．should be equally shared among Americans |
| D．should be put in the economy |
When talking about high school teachers, the author thinks that____________
| A．the teachers' salaries are not high enough. |
| B．teacher's salaries should be as high as CEO's. |
| C．the teachers work harder than CEO's of companies. |
| D．teaching is more important than any other job in America |
Which of the topics is NOT included in the letter?
| A．Election | B．International affair | C．Finance | D．Education, |
LIPITOR
| ABOUT LIPITOR Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise，it lowers “bad，’ cholesterol(胆固醇)in your blood．It can also raise “good'’ cholesterol. [ Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors， including family history of early heart disease，high blood pressure，age and smoking. [ |
| WHO IS LIPITOR FOR? Who can take LIPITOR： ．People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise · Adults and children over l0 Who should NOT take LIPITOR： ．Women who are pregnant，may be pregnant，or may become pregnant. Lipitor may harm your unborn baby. [ ．women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. [ · People with liver(肝脏)problems |
| POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR Serious side effects in a small number of people： ．Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems，including kidney failure ．Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it． Call your doctor right away if you have： ．Unexplained muscle pain or weakness，especially if you have a fever or feel very fired ．Swelling of the face，lips，tongue，and／or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing · Stomach pain Some common side effects of LIPITOR are： · Muscle pain · Upset stomach · Changes in some blood tests |
| HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR DO： ．Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor. ．Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor. [ ．Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food. [ ．If you miss a dose(一剂)，take it as soon as you remember. [But if it has been more than 12 hours since your missed dose，wait．Take the next dose at your regular time. [ Don’t： ．Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor. [ ．Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor. [ |
What is a major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. |
| B．To control blood pressure. |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. |
| D．To lower "bad" cholesterol. |
Taking Lipitor is helpful for .
| A．breast-feeding women |
| B．women who are pregnant |
| C．adults having heart disease |
| D．teenagers with liver problems． |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should
| A．change the amount of your next dose |
| B．eat more when taking your next dose |
| C．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| D．take the next dose at your regular time |
Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
| A．Face swelling. |
| B．Upset stomach. |
| C．Kidney failure. |
| D．Muscle weakness. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery. |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
| D．To give information about a kind of medicine. |
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
| A．the environment for plants |
| B．the biodiversity of our earth |
| C．the wastes of natural resources |
| D．the importance of human values |
How many species are most important to our present food supply?
| A．Twenty. |
| B．Eighty. |
| C．One hundred |
| D．Ten thousand. |
Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
| A．learn how to farm scientifically |
| B．build homes for some dying species |
| C．make it clear what to eat |
| D．use more species for food |
We can infer that the text is _______
| A．a description of natural resources |
| B．a research report |
| C．a book review |
| D．an introduction to a scientist. |
Holidays
| Holiday News Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
| The Snowdonia Center The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of lifetime of mountain climbing adventure. |
| The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours. |
What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
A. Choose the holiday in Devon.
B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre
C Join the World Sea Trip of 2008
D. Visit Acapulco and HawaiiIn what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
| A．It provides chances of family gatherings. |
| B．It provides customers with good food. |
| C．It offers a sport lesson. |
| D．It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
At the Snowdonia Centre, the beginners’ costs of ￡57 do not cover .
| A．food |
| B．rooms |
| C．body exercises |
| D．walking shoes |
It is often necessary to release a fish, that is, set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don’t want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive (存活) to bite again another day.
—When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Don’t’ use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying.
—Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don’t wipe the scales (鱼鳞) off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival.
—Remove your hook (鱼钩) quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish.
—Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water. Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.
—Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.
With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival. People sometimes set a fish free after catching it because they _________
| A．don’t want it to die |
| B．hope it will grow quickly |
| C．don’t want to have it as food |
| D．want to practice their fishing skills |
Which of the following will probably make a fish ill?
| A．Taking the hook off it. |
| B．Removing its scales. |
| C．Touching its eves |
| D．Holding it in your hand. |
A proper way to release a fish is to _________.
| A．move it in water till it can swim |
| B．take the hook out of its stomach |
| C．keep it in a bucket for some time |
| D．let it struggle a little in your hand |
What is the purpose of the test?
| A．To show how to enjoy fishing. |
| B．To persuade people to fish less often. |
| C．To encourage people to set fish free. |
| D．To give advice on how to release fish. |
More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝). The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1966, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.
The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.
In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too. This nice tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C(维生素C) than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.
Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep market to itself. But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples. Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out the market. We learn from the text that the new type at pineapple is __________.
| A．green outside and sweet inside |
| B．good-looking outside and soft inside |
| C．yellowy-gold outside and hard inside |
| D．a little soft outside and sweet inside |
Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?
| A．It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice. |
| B．It was less sweet and good for health. |
| C．It was developed by Del Monte. |
| D．It was used as medicine. |
The underlined word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something _________.
| A．that people enjoy eating |
| B．that is always present |
| C．that is difficult to get |
| D．that people use as a gift |
We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte _________.
| A．slowed other companies to develop pineapples |
| B．succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself |
| C．tried hard to control the pineapple market |
| D．planned to help the other companies |