Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal(用踏板踩)his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?
A.There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 st century New York City. |
B.Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York. |
C.Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 st century New York City. |
D.It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York. |
According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?
A.Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars. |
B.The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents. |
C.We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before. |
D.The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported. |
“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from ___________.
A.the authority | B.the public |
C.the supporters | D.the government |
What of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day |
B.A New Bike Lane Appears in New York |
C.A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers |
D.Who Wins an Election |
The Chinese invented paper in 105 A. D. They mixed the bark of a tree and rags (破布) with water, put a screen into the mixture, and lifted out a thin piece of wet paper. They dried the paper in the sun.
The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world.
The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world.
For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood. Who discovered how to make paper?
A.The Chinese. | B.The Pacific Islanders. |
C.The Mayan Indians. | D.All of the above. |
When did the Chinese invent paper according to the passage?
A.About 1 ,800 years ago. | B.About 1, 900 years ago. |
C.About 2, 000 years ago. | D.About 2, 100 years ago. |
How was papermaking introduced into the rest of the world from China?
A.Through wars. | B.Through the Mayan Indians. |
C.Through the Muslims. | D.Through the Pacific Islanders. |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A.The History of Papermaking. | B.The Invention of Paper. |
C.Different Ways of Making Paper. | D.The Invention of a Papermaking Machine. |
While football fans feel strongly angry and shocked about mistakes made by referees (裁判) because they cannot see clearly what has happened, a small German company is quietly pleased.
For Carlos Technologies, mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy. The company has developed a tiny chip(芯片) that fits inside a football and determines whether the ball has crossed the goal line, by being able to discover its exact location on the field. The world football organization, FIFA, has shown interest in the technology. It is very possible that the new technology will be used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"We've been testing the technology at the main soccer stadium in Nuremberg for some time and more recently in an under-17 FIFA Cup in Peru," said Gunter Rohmer, a director of the company. "The technology has performed well, and we're pretty optimistic that it will be used at the games in Germany next year."
The chip only weighs 12 grams, and is placed in the center of the football. It sends 2,000 signals a second to a receiver network of 12 antennas(天线),placed around the field. The receivers then send information about the ball's location to a central computer, and because it works in real time, it can immediately tell the referee whether a goal has been scored. The chip even can tell when the ball crosses the line in mid-air. Oliver Braun, one of the inventors of the chip, says that feedback from German referees was generally positive. Germany sports-wear giant Adidas is also optimistic about using this kind of chip in other ball sports.
FIFA aims to test the technology later this year at another game in Japan before deciding whether or not to introduce it in all 12 stadiums in Germany for next year's World Cup. Carlos Technologies is pleased because ________.
A.football fans are angry with referees |
B.their new product can satisfy football fans |
C.their new product will have a good market |
D.they can sell a lot of football in the future |
In the first sentence in Paragraph 2,"... mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy" means ___________.
A.Carlos Technologies can't afford the high price for advertising their product |
B.Mistakes in production are also a kind of advertisement |
C.Carlos Technologies has already spent a lot of money on advertising their product |
D.Referees' mistakes will be of great help for the sale of Carlos Technologies' new product |
The underlined word "feedback" probably means ___________.
A.information given back by a user | B.advice given by someone |
C.supplying food to customers | D.food given back by consumers |
The new product has drawn attention from some _________.
A.famous people | B.referees | C.big companies | D.countries |
The Museum of Childhood is Australia’s most comprehensive collection of childhood items including toys, dolls, infant and school material.
Housed in a modern facility(设施), the displays reflect Australian childhood experience over time including play, child rearing(=raising),orphanage(孤儿院)childhood and home, school and war time experience.
There are many hands-on exhibits and education sessions including the famous” lesson” in the 1920s One Teacher Bush Classroom.
The Museum also hosts national touring exhibitions and conducts special activities on Sundays and school holidays(ring for details).
Open: Tuesday—Friday 10am—4pm,Sunday 10am—4:30pm,or by arrangement.
Special activities on Sundays as advertise.
Closed: Public holidays,16 December—18 January.
Location: Edith Cowan University campus, Bay Road, Claremont(take bus 208 and alight at the Bay Road and Princessinter section. The Museum is 15 minutes’ walk from Claremont.On_______ you can stay at Museum until half past four.
A.Wednesday | B.Friday | C.Sunday | D.Monday |
If you want to attend a special activity, you’d better come on________.
A.Monday | B.Tuesday | C.Saturday | D.Sunday |
The underlined word” alight “most probably means________.
A.get off | B.light | C.cross | D.go long |
The main purpose of the Museum of Childhood is to__________.
A.display toys, dolls, infant and school material. | B.reflect Australian childhood experience over time. |
C.host national touring exhibition. | D.tell you the famous“ lesson” in the 1920s. |
BUKHANNON, West Virginia—Two rescue teams slowly moved along a two-mile path on Monday night to the site of a coal mine explosion that trapped 13 miners, who had not been heard from since the early morning accident.
Meanwhile, at a nearby church, more than 250 family members and friends gathered, waiting for updates(最新报道)on the rescuers’ progress.
The miners were trapped at about 6:30 and many families weren’t informed of the accident until about 10 a.m-more than three hours after it happened. “It’s very upsetting, but you’ve got to be patient, I guess,” said John Helms, whose brother, Terry, was trapped in the mine.
The trapped miners were about 260 feet underground and about 10,000 feet from the Sago Mine’s entrance, said Roger Nicholson, general counsel from International Coal Group.
At a late night news conference, Nicholson said one team had advanced about 4, 800 feet in the four hours since entering the mine just before 6 p.m. Another team entered the mine about 30 minutes later.
He said the crew was very experienced, with some members having worked underground for
30 to 35 years. The miners were equipped with about one hour of breathable oxygen each. The company has not released the names of the miners.
The teams test the air about every 500 feet, and have to disconnect (remove) the power to the phones they use to communicate with the surface before doing that. “ We don’t want to be energizing anything if it’s in an atmosphere with burnable gases,” Kips said.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. High levels of carbon monoxide were discovered shortly after the explosion, which delayed rescue efforts, but those levels have since subsided(减退), authorities said.According to the passage, we can infer that ________.
A.all the miners who were trapped underground were still alive |
B.communication with the trapped miners was cut off |
C.the two rescue teams entered the mine at the same time |
D.the rescue started as soon as the accident happened |
If the first team advanced at an average speed, they could dig about _______ per hour.
A.1,000 feet | B.2,400 feet | C.1,200feet | D.4,800feet |
Where can the passage be seen?
A.In a magazine. | B.In a newspaper. | C.In a science book.. | D.On an advertisement. |
Which of the following shows the position where the miners were trapped?
Part I
If you are hunting a chance to improve yourself in English, TOP ENGLISH CITY will be a smart choice. We are members of "the International Language Workshop" and enjoy both of the good honor in English teaching and high quality of our teaching team. We provide affordable, excellent English training programs for those who want to improve both their English knowledge and their language skills.
In TOP ENGLISH CITY, you will be a top English-speaker among your competitors and enjoy the advantage that your competitors have not. You will be proud of being a member of TOP ENGLISH CITY.
Courses designed:
Basic Studies… Sat. 8:00-10:00 a. m.
Intermediate(中级)Spoken English… Sun. 8:00-10:00 a. m.
Standard Spoken English… Sat. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Basic Business English… Sun.8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate Business English… Sun. 7:00-9:00 p.m.
TOEFL Super Studies… Sun. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Children's Weekend… Sat. &. Sun. 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact:
Room 807 American Plaza Tianhexi Rd, 510150 Guangzhou
Tel: 86668888-8807
Part II
ENGLISH SALON
A place for you to practise your English, to exchange your English learning experiences, to know more about the culture of English-speaking countries, to make more friends who can speak very good English.
You will have free talks, famous English films and songs appreciation, English lectures and games; all are for you to improve yourself in English in the special, full-of-fun Salon.
How to Join:
We are a group with membership system, so if you want to join our group, please make an application to the Tianhe Office of Top English City, filling in the applying forms. You will be given a salon ID card, and becomes our member.
The Qualifications(条件):
You must be fluent in English-speaking or / and an English lover. Those who are now learning English in the Top English City will be advantageous.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Jiu Chan at: 47129198 English Salon, your best friend! Join Right Now!Which of the following can be the best title for Part I_________?
A.Top English City, your smart choice! | B.If you want to learn English, we can teach you! |
C.Top English City, the best English! | D.We have what you want! |
If you work in a joint Venture(合资) Company, you probably take thecourse________.
A.Standard Spoken English | B.Intermediate Business English |
C.TOEFL Super Studies | D.Children's Weekend |
Which of the following courses can be learned by the same person________?
A.Basic Studies and Standard Spoken English. |
B.Intermediate Spoken English and Basic Business English. |
C.Standard Spoken English and TOEFL Super Studies. |
D.Intermediate Business English and TOEFL Super Studies. |
If you want to join the English Salon, you should at least________.
A.be a university graduate |
B.be a student learning English in the Top English City |
C.be an English lover or can speak English well |
D.make more friends and know more about the culture of the English |