Below are descriptions of six famous states in the U. S.
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is the most populous U.S. state and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually. The California Gold Rush happened in San Francisco and there is also a famous Silicon Valley. Hollywood exists in Los Angeles, making it the center of entertainment. “The Golden State” has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968.
Florida is a state in the southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States.The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges, and the Kennedy Space Center. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the Union. Approximately 63% of Utahans are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS, which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. The state is a center of transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation.
Texas is the second most populous and the second-largest of the 50 states in the United States of America. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal today. The term "six flags over Texas" came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy.
Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the headquarters of the Department of Defense and CIA; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's main seaport. Virginia's public schools and many colleges and universities have contributed to growing media and technology sectors. As a result, computer chips have become the state's leading export.
Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. In 1792 it became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures because of the fertile soil. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.Kentucky is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in the United States. Which state is called the “golden state” and why?
| A．California, because of the gold rush. |
| B．Texas, because of the stars there. |
| C．Virginia, because of a famous mother there. |
| D．Kentucky, because of the famous “KFC” there. |
The famous writer of “The Old Man and the Sea” once lived in____.
| A．Virginia | B．Texas | C．California | D．Florida |
How is the correct time order for different states to join the U.S.?
| A．California – Utah—Texas – Kentucky |
| B．Kentucky–Texas – California – Utah |
| C．Kentucky–California – Texas —Utah |
| D．California –Kentucky—Texas –Utah |
Which of the following match is WRONG?
| A．Cowboys in Texas. |
| B．Utah and religions. |
| C．Hollywood in Virginia. |
| D．Kennedy Space Center in Florida. |
B
For almost two months Dominic York, a 23-year-old hairdresser, wandered about hospitals all night, wearing a white coat and pretending he was a doctor. Yesterday he proudly claimed in court that despite his complete lack of medical experience or qualifications, he had saved several people’s lives. He had even been allowed to assist a surgeon during an emergency operation on a patient who was about to die on something she had swallowed.
“I watched one of those TV dramas about a hospital and suddenly I felt like playing one of the roles myself. So I put on a white jacket and a stethoscope(听诊器)and walked around one of the biggest hospital in London. At first I just watched. Once you learn how doctors talk to patients, nurses and others doctors, it’s easy to take people in,” he said.
One of the patients he treated was Laura Kennan. She had been knocked down by a car and fainted. When she came to in hospital, York was standing over her.
“He looked very professional. He told me his name was Doctor Simon. Then he gave me some sort of injection,” she said. And then he suddenly cleared off when a nurse asked who he was. She didn’t think there was anything wrong. “I would never have realized he was a fake if a policewoman hadn’t showed me his photograph a week later. When the policewoman told me who he really was, I could hardly believe my ears.”
Judge Raymond Adams told York that he was. “ shocked and horrified” that he got away with his deceiving for so long, and then sentenced him to eighteen months in a special prison for criminal with mental disorders.
“I can only hope that this will not lead to further problems. After all, you will have considerable opportunity to study the behaviour of the psychiatrists(精神科医生)who will look after you while you are there. If you try to persuade people that you yourself are a psychiatrist after you are set free, I shall make sure that you are given a much longer sentence.” Judge Adams warned York.
5. York was proud of the fact that ___________.
A. a surgeon let him watch an operation.
B. he could perform some duties of a doctor.
C. he had cheated doctors for so long
D. people thought he could become a real doctor
6. York learned how to behave like a doctor by __________.
A. watching other doctors workB. talking to doctors and nurses
C. getting some training and experience D. observing doctors while he was a patient
7. Why was Laura Kennan in hospital?
A. She had swallowed something and almost died.
B. She had to have and emergency operation.
C. She had been injured in a road accident.
D. She had lost consciousness while driving.
8. The judge’s remark implied that York would be more severely punished if he _________.
A. pretended to be a psychiatrist B. tried to get away from prison
C. was proud of what he had done D. studied the behaviour of the psychiatrist
四．阅读理解：
A
Professor Reason recently persuaded 35 people to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for two weeks. When he came to analyze(分析) their embarrassing errors , he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groups .
One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her pet dog her ear-rings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “ The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer, ” explains the professor, “ People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman’s custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her ear-rings. But somehow the action got reversed(颠倒) in the programme .” About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these “ programme assembly failures.”
Twenty per cent of all errors were “ test failures ”—primarily due to not verifying the progress of what the body was doing . A man about to get his car out of the garage passed through the back yard where his garden jacket and boots were kept , put them on —much to his surprise . A woman victim reported : “ I got into the bath with my socks on .”
The commonest problem was information “ storage failures”. People forgot the names of people whose faces they knew, went into a room and forgot why they were there, mislaid something, or smoked a cigarette without realizing it.
The research so far suggests that while the “ central processor” of the brain is liberated from second-to-second control of a well-practiced routine, it must repeatedly switch back its attention at important decision points to check that the action goes on as intended. Otherwise the activity may be “ captured ” by another frequently and recently used programme, resulting in embarrassing errors.
1. The purpose of Professor Reason’s research is .
A. to show the difference between men and women in their reasoning
B. to classify and explain some errors in human actions
C. to find the causes which lead to computer failures
D. to compare computer functions with brain workings .
2. Which of the following might be grouped under “ programme assembly failures ”?
A. A woman went into a shop and forgot what to buy.
B. A man returning home after work left his key in the lock.
C. A lady fell as she was concentrating on each step her feet were taking.
D. An old man, with his shoes on, was trying to put on his socks.
3. The word “ verifying ” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by .
A. improving B. changing C. checking D. stopping
4. According to the passage, the information “ storage failures ” refer to .
A. the destruction of information collecting system
B. the elimination of one’s total memory
C. the temporary loss of part of one’s memory
D. the separation of one’s action from consciousness
B
The Internet has opened up a whole new on-line world for us to meet, chat and go where we’ve never been before.
But just as in face-to-face communication, there are some basic rules of behavior that should be followed when online. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated. Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes.
For anything you’re about to send: ask yourself, “Would I say this to the person’s face?” If the answer is no, rewrite and reread. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying the words to the person’s face.
If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct (本能) is to fire back in the same way. But try not to do so. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.
Everyone was new to the network once. Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer ,you should be kind about it. If it’s a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you license to correct everyone else.
If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely. At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and say sorry to those that you have offended （冒犯，得罪）.
It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex, and marital status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don’t ask such questions.
4. When you send short messages to a person, you must_____.
A. make sure that they mean no harm
B. read them again and again
C. say something good to hear
D. repeat them later to the person’s face
5. If you are hurt in the chat room by others, you should ____.
A. fight back in the same way B. take them seriously
C. pay no attention to it D. be angry at them
6. This passage mainly tells us_____.
A. some rules of Internet communication
B. ways of sending messages
C. rules of the chat room
D. ways of making friends on the Internet
阅读理解
A
When some plates of the earth move suddenly, an earthquake happens. Many earthquakes begin under the sea. In fact, earthquakes may happen anywhere on the earth. They often happen near mountains.
During an earthquake, the shakings make rocks rise suddenly and even crack（断裂）open. Houses fall, people are killed or hurt, and sometimes the whole villages or cities are destroyed.
Can we do something to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes? Scientists have studied earthquakes and made maps that show“earthquake belts（带）”. In these belts, it’s possible for earthquakes to happen. In these areas we can build strong houses to fight against earthquakes.
In the future, scientists will be able to predict exactly（精确预报）when and where an earthquake will happen. They can also tell people what to do and how to do it.
1. It is said a large number of earthquakes often happen .
A. next to mountains B. in the day time C. on land D. at night
2. In the future we’ll be no longer so afraid of an earthquake .
A. because of a map showing the“earthquake belts”
B. because we can guess the date and place of an earthquake
C. as scientists will know what to do and how to do it
D. both B and C
3. Which is the best title of the passage?
A. A Scientist and an Earthquake B. An Earthquake
C. How to Fight against Earthquake D. Earthquakes Today and Tomorrow
B
Beverley had been feeling dull, bored and a bit out of it. He mentioned his mood (state of mind) when going to Andrew for a sports massage. He wondered whether he should take up Tai Chi. But Andrew didn’t think so.
“Tai Chi is great for people who want to feel grounded, but that isn’t your problem,” he said. “What you need is something more exciting, like dancing.”
In future, therapists(理疗专家) may well suggest that you fight your sadness with a course in kickboxing, and family doctors might suggest that you take a rest in the mountains instead.
We’ve long been aware that exercise has benefits beyond the physical ones; that activity can relax you, and help psychological well-being by reducing stress, anxiety and sadness.
Now some trainers and sports psychologists are going further and examining how to identify the correct exercise for a client’s(当事人) specific state of mind and personality.
Professor Stuart Biddle, an exercise and sports psychologist based at Loughborough University, England, has researched the effects of exercise on moods.
One of his findings was that, if your problem is low self-esteem, weight training should be your bag. “Working with weights builds strength,” he says, “and creates a stronger body image.”
Anger management, meanwhile, demands bursts of explosive(爆发性的) activity, from sports such as boxing or tennis.
This is because anger makes the body release（释放）adrenaline(肾上腺素), which causes heart rate and blood pressure to rise and muscles to become tighter —— the physiological changes required if you are to defend yourself.
Research shows that the “punch-bag(用拳头击打沙袋)” method of releasing disappointment and anger through hitting a boxing opponent(对手) or tennis ball, can help with fighting issues.
They have also found that teamwork is good for self-esteem and that those who are brought together to work in a social setting become more lively.
Which type of exercise will best help is, of course, down to the individual. Clearly, before you can find the best physical activity for yourself, you have to know your needs.
Ask yourself a few questions such as: What do I need in my life? Which issues are difficult for me? Am I sad or troubled? Only then can you decide whether you need taking up, or taking down.
5.Why did Andrew think Beverley shouldn’t take up Tai Chi?
A. Because Beverley was too weak.
B. Because Beverley was too foolish.
C. Because Beverley’s mind was out of control.
D. Because Beverley lacked activity.
6. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Psychologists haven’t realized the relationship between exercise and health.
B. People have already realized the relationship between exercise and spirits.
C. Boxing and tennis are the best ways to increase one’s self-esteem.
D. Trainers and psychologists don’t agree with each other on exercise.
7. Professor Stuart Biddle thinks that ____ .
A. anger should be examined by doctors
B. anger should be taken away by medicine
C. anger should be given off by activities
D. anger should be held back by oneself
8. The main idea of this passage may be ____ .
A. sports build up your body
B. sports are helpful to your mind
C. heart trouble is due to anger
D. anxiety and sadness are harmful to you