The summer of 2012 was full of reports of extreme weather: one of the warmest years on record in the US, the wettest summer in the UK, and the worst drought (旱灾) in East Africa. In short, extreme weather seems to be becoming the new normal. Weather extremes are not that extreme any more. Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires are the new reality of a warming world.
And this should not come as a surprise. Scientists have been warning for years that as the planet heats up, we will have to deal with more dreadful weather. Although not every extreme weather event is the result of climate change, scientists are now much more confident about connecting weather events with climate change. In 2011, the UK had a warm November. Researchers say that it was at least 60 times more likely to happen because of climate change than because of natural changes in the earth’s weather systems.
All the news shows that climate breakdown is occurring faster than most climate scientists had expected. But isn’t it too expensive to stop the climate from changing? Well, yes it costs. So everything is just as usual. It would be wrong to believe that to let things continue as they always do is the cheap choice. Instead, it is very expensive. Just one example: droughts in the US, Russia and the Ukraine sent food prices to a record high. According to the World Bank, the price for corn increased by 113% in some markets in Mozambique and in Sudan. This is the kind of cost that often gets ignored.
I believe intelligent climate action can help create new opportunities for jobs in Europe, for encouraging creativity and competitiveness, for spending less money on energy.According to the passage, in 2012 _____.
| A．the UK had a warm November | B．the US had many wildfires |
| C．the UK had a dry summer | D．East Africa had little rain |
The author mentions the increase of food prices in Paragraph 3 to _____.
| A．show a lot of people are hungry |
| B．prove food prices are very changeable |
| C．prove we’re paying for extreme weather |
| D．show it’s expensive to stop the climate from changing |
Which of the following statements does the author probably agree with?
| A．Proper climate action will be useful. |
| B．Europe is providing limited job opportunities. |
| C．It’s everyone’s duty to protect the environment. |
| D．Everyone needs time to get used to extreme weather. |
Footracing(竞走)is a popular activity in the United States．It is not only seen as a competitive sport，but also as a way to exercise，and to donate(捐赠)moneyto a good cause．Though serious runners may spend months training to compete，other runners and walkers might not train at a11．Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time，or simply to enjoy the fun and exercise．People of all ages, from those less than one year old to those in their 80s, enter into this sport．The races are held on city streets，on college campuses，through parks，and in suburban areas，and commonly 5 to 1 0 kilometers in length．
The largest footrace in the world is the 1 2-kilometer Bay to Breakers race that is held in San Francisco every spring．This race begins on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the west side at the Pacific Ocean．In 1 993 there were 80，000 people running in this race through the streets and hills of San Francisco．In the front are the serious runners who compete to win，and who might finish in as little as 34 minutes．Behind them are the thousands who take several hours to finish．In the back of the race are those who wear costumes just for fun．In 1 993 there was a group of men all of whom dressed up like Elvis Priestly．There was a group of firefighters who were all tied in a long line and were carrying a fire—hose(水龙带)．One year there was a wedding party in which the bride dressed in a long white gown(长袍)and the groom wore a tuxedo(晚礼服)．They threw flowers to by-standers，and were actually married at some point along the route．The main purpose of this text is to__________．
| A．describe a popular activity |
| B．encourage people to exercise |
| C．make fun of runners in costume |
| D．give reasons for the popularity of footraces |
Which of the following is implied by the author?
| A．Walkers don’t compete for prizes． |
| B．Footraces appeal to a variety of people． |
| C．Entering a race is a way to make friends． |
| D．Running is a good way to strengthen the heart． |
The underlined words “to a good cause” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by ___________.
| A．for a good reason | B．to support a sound principle |
| C．for a good purpose | D．to protect an excellent player |
Crosstalk(相声)，a traditional form of comic storytelling，is making a comeback in China’s tea houses and theaters．
Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin，entertained by the apprentices(学徒)of Hou Baolin，Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan—all leading crosstalk artists of years past—for only 20 yuan($2．40)．
The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation(复活) of crosstalk in Beijing and other places．
Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911)，Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out．The city was well—known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances．
Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(1iterally，“face and voice”)，crosstalk was the predominant(支配的)form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century．In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere，temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform，although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters．
Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture，from history and folk tales to social issues of the time．Although there’re hundreds of traditional pieces，they’re constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well．It’s one of the features that have made crosstalk a
public art form throughout its history．
“Crosstalk was in the doldrums(萎靡不振)with competition from other art forms，especially TV，”said Wang Xiaochun，headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)．“But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans，especially young people，growing aware of its rare qualities．”
“More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk，including some girl students，”said Wang, “They’re sure that crosstalk will have a strong market.”Crosstalk means“__________ ”in Chinese．
| A．storytelling | B．face and voice | C．folk tale | D．dialogue |
According to the text, crosstalk is so popular throughout its history because____________．
| A．it is constantly changed and renewed | B．it is often performed at temple fairs |
| C．it is different from other arts | D．it is comic and humourous |
Crosstalk makes a comeback mainly because__________．
| A．it is a popular traditional art after all |
| B．the pieces contain some famous folk tales |
| C．the crosstalkers make it return to teahouses |
| D．the pieces are made to suit the times and the audience |
We can learn that the future of crosstalk first lies in ____________．
| A．setting up more storytelling art schools | B．beating TV and other arts |
| C．young people’s awareness of its value | D．a strong market |
Guitar Lessons for Guitar Players
Playing the same things over and over again when you pick up the guitar? Teaching yourself for years but you hit a wall? Don’t know what to do next? Whether you’re a total beginner, or an old guitar player, we’ll get you working on something you can benefit from. I’m a professional teacher, over 30 students at my studio in downtown Berkeley and several music schools in San Francisco, Alameda, and Mountain
View.
No matter what style you’re into, I guarantee there are songs by your favourite bands that you could learn.
Call at 510-333-9091 or e-mail at blueschool147@gmail.com
Dance Classes for Students 2.5 Through Adults
Motion Dance Center in Martinez is now accepting registration(注册 )for all dance classes. There are classes offered in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-hop, Contemporary and Cheerleading. Classes run like the school year Sep. through June. Prices are very reasonable at only $45 a month. That’s for a one-hour class once a week for a month. This studio is known for their younger child program. We are always looking for talented instructors too. If you want more information call Deena at 925-229-5678.
Qi Gong with Angie
Qi Gong is the perfect activity for anyone at any age. It combines gentle movement and meditation(冥想), breathing regulation and relaxation. The exercises are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and improve blood and energy circulation(循环) throughout the body, therefore increasing immune (免疫的) function, improving energy levels and sleep.
Thousands of Qi Gong lovers around the world have experienced the extraordinary benefits of this gentle, ancient Chinese exercise form and are healthier and happier for it. Join us to experience the benefits for yourself!
WHEN: Tuesdays from noon----1pm
WHERE: Halanda Studio 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125
COST: $12 per class drop – in (即到即学的) or $45 for a pre-paid set of 4 classes
CONTACT: Angie at angie@lokahiacupuncture.com, 408-887-6000The purpose of the first advertisement is to _______.
| A．build a bridge between guitar players |
| B．look for teachers for several music schools |
| C．attract guitar players to attend music classes |
| D．help guitar beginners to improve their techniques |
Who will probably contact 510-333-9091?
| A．A music lover | B．A Hip-Hop lover | C．A dance lover | D．A Qi Gong lover |
Sarah and Jessey decide to attend the dance classes for six months. They each will have to pay _________ .
| A．$135 | B．$270 | C．$540 | D．1,080 |
According to Angie, the Qi Gong exercise is _______.
| A．traditional, gentle but unpopular | B．ancient, positive but complex |
| C．simple, effective but a little violent | D．traditional, gentle and effective |
One day a mime(哑剧演员)is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd，a zookeeper drags him into his office．The zookeeper explains that the zoo's most popular attraction，a gorilla(大猩猩)，has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance（出席人数） at the zoo will fall off．He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla. The mime accepts．
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes．He soon discovers he can sleep all he wants，play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime—the job he likes but loses．
However, with days going by，he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his．Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage，crawls across a partition(隔墙)，and dangles(悬挂)from the top to the lion’s cage. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is a fuel to the crowd．
At the end of the day he is given a raise for being such a good attraction—Well，this continues for some time．The crowds grow larger，and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slips and falls．The mime is terrified. He starts screaming， “Help me!”，but the lion is quick．The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut
up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”The mime accepts the zookeeper’s offer because______________·
| A．he has been out of work |
| B．he doesn’t like being a mime |
| C．he likes performing at the zoo |
| D．he is offered a higher pay there |
How does the mime find the job dressing up as the gorilla?
| A．Hard and tiring． | B．Dangerous. |
| C．Easy and funny． | D．Boring. |
The mime’s first contact with the lion is to_________·
| A．find pleasure for himself | B．get the lion’s attention |
| C．get his pay raised | D．win back his audience |
The underlined words “a fuel” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by __________.
A. frightening B common C．exciting D. familiar
Jenny lived in a town．Her father，Mr．Young，had a shop there and sold clothes in it．The shopkeeper was born in a poor family and was in school no more than a year．He was always sorry for it though he had much money now．He hoped his daughter could become a scientist．But the girl didn’t 1ike anything else except singing．She often went to the concerts，bought a lot of records the famous pop stars made and insisted on listening to the music when she was free．Of course she wanted to be a pop star，too．Her parents wanted to prevent her，but she didn’t listen to
them and they had to agree to her choice．They engaged an old man who was good at music as a private teacher．
Five years passed．Mr．Young bought all kinds of musical instruments for Jenny and they visited some places where the famous singers were born．Of course he spent a lot of money on it．But he found the girl didn’t make any progress．At last the teacher didn’t think the girl could become a singer at all and had to tell Mr．Young about it．The man became angry and said，“Why didn’t you tell me about it earlier? My daughter learned nothing but I paid you month after month!”
“I think you should thank me for it，”said the teacher．“Another teacher, who teaches
badly，is paid more than I was．And I saved much money for you!”Mr. Young was in school for a short time because______．
| A．he was too poor to go on studying | B．he had to help his parents |
| C．he was weak in his lessons | D．he didn’t like studying at all |
Jenny spent much money buying records and went to the concerts in order to ______
| A．visit some places | B．know some pop stars |
| C．become a pop star | D．1earn singing |
Mr．Young became angry because______．
| A．he paid a lot of money to the teacher |
| B．his daughter decided to drop music |
| C．his daughter spent four years on music |
| D．the teacher taught his daughter nothing |