The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs,
"The civilization of a city can be measured by this," said Monica Cirinna, the councilor(议员 ) behind the new law.
"It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention," she told a Rome newspaper.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don't give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
"Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals who deserve our respect and compassion every bit as much as dogs and eats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Last year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines (罚款) and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $ 598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn't leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs' tails to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the "cat ladies" who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modem office car parks.The new law passed in Rome will .
| A.help improve fishing environment |
| B.guarantee better conditions for goldfish |
| C.stop people from catching goldfish |
| D.discourage keeping goldfish at home |
People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by its .
| A.exchanges with' other cities |
| B.protection for ancient ruins |
| C.awareness of animal protection |
| D.recognition of animal lovers |
The underlined word" compassion" in Paragraph 5 is the closest in meaning to .
| A.pity | B.praise | C.support | D.popularity |
People may break the law in Turin if they
| A.keep their dogs or cats in cars |
| B.feed homeless animals in car parks |
| C.raise their cats near ancient ruins |
| D.shut their dogs home all day long |
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship (奖学金) and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted (吸毒) parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” . In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
| A.b, a, e, c, d | B.a, b, c, e, d | C.e, d, b, a, c | D.b, e, a, d, c |
The main idea of the passage is ________.
| A.how Liz managed to enter Harvard University |
| B.what a hard time Liz had in her childhood |
| C.why Liz loved her parents so much |
| D.how Liz struggled to change her life |
What actually made her go towards her goal?
| A.Envy and encouragement. | B.Willpower and determination. |
| C.Decisions and understanding. | D.Love and respect for her parents. |
When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.
| A.she had little experience of social life |
| B.she could hardly understand the society |
| C.she would do something for her own life |
| D.she needed to travel more around the world |
Beverage Service We serve a variety of soft drinks, coffee, tea and free of charge. However, as flying has a dehydrating effect, water and non-alcoholic beverages are recommended.
Electronic Equipment Cellphones, FM/AM radios, portable television sets and electronic toys with remote controls must not be used in the cabin, as their signals may interfere with the aircrafts navigational instruments. Laptop computers and CD (MD, MP3) players may be used during cruising portions of the flight but not during the takeoff and landing.
Inflight Entertainment A wide selection of international publications are available for your reading pleasure. You may keep this free copy of Morning Calm magazine, but kindly return all other reading materials after you have finished with them for the benefit of fellow passengers. A selection of music is available on eight channels, from channel 3 to 10. The channel changer is on your armrest. We also offer a selection of popular films; you may listen in English on channel 2. Paduk (go) and chess are available on request, and we have free postcards and stationery.
Medical Needs We keep a selection of nonprescription medicine for any passenger suffering from mild sicknesses. An emergency medical kit is also available for more serious illnesses.
Travelling with Infants and Children Baby bassinets are provided on a first come first serve basis and should be requested at the time of booking. Special meals for children and infants can be served if the request is made 24 hours before departure. Selected giveaways for children aged 2 to 12 are available on all international flights.The services above are probably offered by ___________.
| A.a traveling agent | B.a medical center |
| C.an airline | D.a five-star hotel |
Which of the following is not allowed according to the passage?
| A.Watching popular films. |
| B.Listening to MP3. |
| C.Having nonprescription medicine. |
| D.Using mobile phones. |
If you turn on channel 5 on your armrest, what will you enjoy?
| A.International news. | B.Free-of-charge drinks. |
| C.Fashion magazines. | D.Popular music. |
When should a passenger request special meals for children and babies?
| A.24 hours before departure. | B.At the time of booking. |
| C.Soon after the takeoff. | D.At the time of landing. |
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere –-- on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble-maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it
A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker(鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”The whole passage is in a tone (语气) of _________.
| A.respect and harmony | B.humor and love |
| C.hope and expectation | D.confidence and imagination |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A.He has altogether five fingers. | B.He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C.He becomes clever and smart. | D.He cuts his hand with a knife. |
According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except _________.
| A.ice cream | B.comic books |
| C.Saturday mornings | D.Sunday schools |
What does the writer feel about boys?
| A.He feels curious about their noise. | B.He is tired of these creatures. |
| C.He is amazed by their naughtiness. | D.He feels unsafe staying with them. |
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps producers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream –as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job; after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No –-- there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and rates 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12 F. Harrisonexplains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,”he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the colour expected from that flavor?”Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy – working at once cool job.What is John Harrison’s job?
| A.An official. | B.An ice-cream taster. |
| C.A chemist. | D.An ice-cream producer |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified(有资格的) in the “cool field”, it is helpful to.
| A.keep a diary of work | B.have a degree in related subjects |
| C.have new ideas every day | D.find out new flavors each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
| A.He stirs the ice cream. |
| B.He examines the colour of the ice cream. |
| C.He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. |
| D.He lets the ice cream warm up. |
Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
| A.Tasting with Eyes | B.Flavors of Ice Cream |
| C.John Harrison’s Life | D.One Cool Job |
The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一度时髦的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” — and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear — popular in the US and the UK — that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of The Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of The Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, former head of the Language Center at King’s College London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBCMagazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便).” Adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western world is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBCMagazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend unavoidably disappeared.People use iPlayer to _________.
| A.listen to music | B.make a call |
| C.watch TV programs online | D.read newspapers |
We can infer that The Independent’s “i” is aimed at _________.
| A.young readers | B.old readers |
| C.fashionable women | D.engineers |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are _________.
| A.portable | B.environmentally friendly |
| C.advanced | D.recyclable |
The writer suggests that _________.
| A.“i” products are often of high quality |
| B.iTeddy is a living bear |
| C.the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products |
| D.the popularity of “i” products may not last long |