As China becomes increasingly urbanized (城市化), it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be “re-inventing” a “garden city”.
China’s mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable (可耕种的) land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth.
This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world’s largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora (大移居) when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities. 
On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the “garden city”, a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education.
The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It’s common to see organic “hanging garden” on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (=" practical)" benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there’re fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing. 
 Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites. Some experts suggest re-inventing a “garden city” because ______.
| A.it is the only model way to save the cities | 
| B.it helps stop destroying the rural areas | 
| C.increasing urbanization takes place in China | 
| D.China has the largest population to feed | 
What is the purpose of paragraph 2?
| A.To show the experts’ concern about the increase of population. | 
| B.To persuade people into supporting economic growth in cities. | 
| C.To explain the reasons for the change of rural-urban framework. | 
| D.To inform the readers of the consequences of quick urbanization. | 
In Hua Li’s opinion, a combination of country and city will ______.
| A.benefit the environment and lower living costs | 
| B.become a project that needs a long-term study | 
| C.lead to more rural communities being replaced | 
| D.attract more farmers to take tours in cities | 
Zhang is mentioned (Paragraph 5) to show that ______.
| A.he achieves his dream to own a hanging garden | 
| B.hanging gardens are becoming more popular | 
| C.the garden contributes to a better neighborhood | 
| D.he is a pioneer to practise the gardening concept | 
As for the concept of the “garden city”, the writer feels ______.
| A.desperate | B.hopeful | C.disappointed | D.concerned | 
I have ______ many different friends ______ it is hard to choose just one best friend.
| A.so; as | B.so; that | 
| C.such; as | D.such; that | 
 Wednesday night 7: 30 p. m. at the Chuckle Bar!
 Starring Rodney Mann, Pedro Mendez and Larry Dunne!
 Next Wednesday night at the Chuckle Bar we have an all star line up of comedians. Three of the world’s best known comedians are coming together for one night only. Book your tickets by calling 1 900 555 6565 or be at the door early to buy them before the show begins.
 Rodney Mann
 Mann is famous for his jokes about average people and their life. Many of his jokes are social commentaries on everyday things. He loves to set his jokes in New York, the city where he grew up.
 Mann’s most famous opening line, “You know, I was walking down the street the other day. . . ” is known all over the world. He is just back from his tour of Europe, and is appearing at the Chuckle Bar for one night only. Don’t miss it!
 Pedro Mendez
 Pedro Mendez grew up on a small farm in Panama. He moved to the USA with his parents when he was ten, and has been telling jokes and making people laugh ever since. Recently, the 30 year old comedian began to film a new TV programme that he will both act in and produce.
 Experience Mendez’s unique Latin style humor for yourself. His routine, “I had a farm in Panama”, is a classic that should not be missed.
 Larry Dunne
 Larry Dunne has been making people laugh all over the world for more than five decades. He began his career by performing for soldiers in Hawaii in the 1950s, and since then, he has been the host of his own late night TV programme. The videos and DVDs of his performances are the best sellers of any stand-up acts out there. As an old style comedian, Dunne uses lots of singing and dancing as part of his routines.
 Dunne is best known for his jokes about life in the USA and how it has changed during his lifetime. This will be Dunne’s last show before he retires, so don’t miss it.
 Call 1-900-555-6565 to reserve your tickets or be at the door by 7: 00 p. m. .Rodney Mann grew up in ______ .
| A.the USA | B.Panama | 
| C.Hawaii | D.New York | 
The show begins ______.
| A.at lunch time | B.at 7: 30 p. m. | 
| C.at 7: 00 p.m | D.at 7: 30 a. m. | 
Pedro Mendez has lived in ______ for ______ years.
| A.the USA; thirty-four | B.the USA; | 
| C.Panama; thirty-four | D.the USA; twenty | 
The oldest comedian is probably ______, and has been performing ______.
| A.Rodney Mann; for over fifty years | 
| B.Larry Dunne; since the 1970s | 
| C.Larry Dunne; for over fifty years | 
| D.Pedro Mendez; for over fifty years | 
The comedy show will have ______ comedians on ______ night.
| A.three; one | B.three; two | 
| C.one; three | D.one; two | 
A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package: What food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
 Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse declared the warning, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
 The chicken clucked ( 咯咯叫 ), raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell you this is a great concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me, I cannot be bothered by it.”
 The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers.”
 The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, “A mouse trap, am I in great danger, huh?”
 So the mouse returned to the house, head down and depressed to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
 That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey( 猎物 ). The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was an evil snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knew to treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer killed the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
 So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.We may infer that the passage is most probably a ______.
| A.an advertisement | B.fable | 
| C.science fiction | D.news report | 
We could see from the passage that the mouse was ______.
| A.kind and warm-hearted | 
| B.well-informed | 
| C.good at cheating others | 
| D.foolish and rude | 
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.The pig was comparatively less friendly than the others in the farmyard. | 
| B.The mouse trap that the mouse discovered was not a practical one. | 
| C.The farmer and his wife trapped an evil snake that night. | 
| D.The farmer’s family was in fact poor and they had no friends. | 
How many animals are mentioned in this passage?
| A.five | B.three | C.four | D.six | 
What can we learn from the story?
| A.Better safe than sorry. | 
| B.Traps are usually well disguised. | 
| C.To help others is just to save you. | 
| D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all. | 
Most middle school students find it boring to learn math. But students in Yet Sen Middle School in New York, US, don’t think so. Why? Because they are in the school of One Program, which asks students to work on their own or in small groups on computers to have math lessons.
 “The program gives the students a new learning style. No traditional classroom can compare with it. We give each lesson according to the students’ interest and their strong and weak points, ”said Joel. Klein, the school’s headteacher, “We’re looking for a new way that interests students. ”
 Students enjoy these math lessons, especially lessons with video games. They must find out the answers to math problems to get through the game. One such game is Dimension M. As students move through mazes(迷宫)with their keyboards, some questions come up.
 Caleb Deng had to answer the question: What is 5+(6×3)? He calculated on paper quickly because there was just a minute left to play.
 “I was right, ”said Deng, 14, as he ended the game with a high score(高分). “This really makes math lessons more exciting, since we are fighting to learn better. ”Students in Yet Sen Middle School like math because.
| A.they work in large groups | 
| B.they can work on computer | 
| C.the teachers are interesting | 
| D.math questions are easy there | 
Which is NOT true of the program?
| A.It is very successful. | 
| B.It is boring to most students. | 
| C.It makes learning math more interesting. | 
| D.It gives the students a new way to learn. | 
The underlined word“calculated”in Paragraph 4 most probably means.
| A.worked out | B.wrote down | 
| C.threw away | D.gave up | 
Caleb Deng’s story serves as an example to show.
| A.how students work in small groups | 
| B.how to end a game with a high score | 
| C.how the question 5+(6×3)should be solved | 
| D.how students learn math through video games | 
This article is mainly about.
| A.how to learn math well | 
| B.an interesting math lesson | 
| C.a new way to learn math | 
| D.kids in Yet Sen Middle School | 
Where Are We Going, Dad? presents a new generation of men, in a break from Chinese tradition, now take an active role in their children's lives.
 Five star fathers and their children travel around China, riding camels through the western deserts, fishing off the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare(费用) home in remote(偏远的) southwestern Yunnan province. One dad doesn’t know how to do his daughter’s hair, but give him a couple of days — he’ll figure it out. Another one must survive with his son for three days in the desert, where, because neither can cook, the two only eat instant noodles.
 These story lines are part of Where Are We Going, Dad? which, since its first show in October, has become one of China’s most popular television shows, covering more than 600 million viewers each week. And searches for Where Are We Going, Dad? turn up over 40 million hits on Sina Weibo--China’s Twitter.
 “In traditional Chinese culture, the common conception of parenthood is that the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentler on their kids and more concerned with their upbringing,” said Li Minyi, an associate professor of early childhood education at the leading Beijing Normal University. “An important question arises in this show for modern Chinese society — what is the role of fathers in today’s China?”
 “As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time,” said Wang Renping, a popular education expert, in an interview with the Qianjiang Evening News. “They cannot use parenting styles from 20 years ago to guide the development of children born 20 years later.”
 The attraction of Where Are We Going, Dad? lies in the chance to have a close look at the lives of popular Chinese stars and their children. Audiences fancy watching the failed attempts of star dads making dinner, braiding hair(编头发), and disciplining children — tasks often left to mothers in a society still influenced by the opinion that “men rule outside and women rule inside.”In Where Are We Going, Dad, we can probably learn about .
| A.how the fathers do housework at home | 
| B.how the children study in their spare time | 
| C.how the fathers look after and guide their children | 
| D.how the children help their father with their travel around China | 
Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?
| A.In modern society, men should not care too much about their kids. | 
| B.Where Are We Going, Dad has the most number of viewers in China. | 
| C.In Chinese tradition, fathers always play an active part in their children’s lives. | 
| D.While they bring up their children, parents are improving their parenting styles. | 
The reason why Where Are We Going, Dad is so popular in China may include the following EXCEPT that.
| A.audiences enjoy laughing at others’ failure in life | 
| B.it can make people laugh and think at the same time | 
| C.people love watching the stars and their children’s lives closely | 
| D.it presents a new generation of men’s role in their children’s lives | 
What does the underlined word “arises” probably mean here?
| A.appears | B.escapes | 
| C.settles | D.persuades |