What’s the difference between the British Isles, Britain, the United Kingdom and England?
The British Isles is made up of two large islands: One is called Ireland and the other Britain. Britain, or Great Britain, is the larger of these two islands and it is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England.
The United Kingdom (UK) is short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is made up of Scotland, Wales, and England (i.e. the whole of Britain), and also about one-sixth of Ireland, the Northern part. The rest of Ireland is self-governing(自治的).
England is the largest, most populous (人口众多的), and generally speaking, the richest section. English people often use the words “England” and “English” when they mean “Britain” and “British”. This sometimes makes the Scots and the Welsh angry. The Scots are very proud of their separate nationality. The Welsh too do not consider themselves as England, and have a culture and even a language of their own. Ireland became part of the United Kingdom in 1801, but is soon grew discontented (不满的), and for forty years the “Irish Question” was the greatest headache of British Parliament(国会). At last, Ireland divided itself into two: Northern Ireland remained loyal(忠诚于) to the Crown(英国王室), and in 1922 the rest of the country broke away to form Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland.Which is the largest in area?
| A．The British Iles | B．Great Britain |
| C．England | D．The United Kingdom |
Which is the largest island of the British Isles?.
| A．Ireland | B．Britain |
| C．England | D．Northern Ireland |
The United Kingdom is mainly made up of .
| A．3 parts: Scotland, Wales, and England |
| B．4 parts: Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland |
| C．2 parts: the whole of Britain and Ireland |
| D．2 parts: the whole of Britain and Northern Ireland |
Strictly speaking(严格地说), which is wrong?
| A．“English” refers(指) to people of England. |
| B．“The Scots” refers to people of Scotland. |
| C．“England” refers to all the people to the UK. |
| D．Only one-sixth of Ireland belongs to the UK. |
Who will be happy if we use “England” when we mean Britain?
| A．The British | B．People of England |
| C．People of the Republic of Ireland | D．The welsh |
Do you know Australia ? Australia is the largest island in the world . It is a little smaller than China . It is in the south of the earth .Australia is big , but its population is not large . The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai .
The government has made enough laws to fight pollution . The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution .The sky is blue and the water is clean . You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers . Plants grow very well .
Last month we visited Perth , the biggest city in Western Australia , and went to a wild flowers’ exhibition . There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before . We had a wonderful time .Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers .In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers’ exhibition .After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside . We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill .It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves . Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill .What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could .There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path .
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos (袋鼠). After a short drive from any town , you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep . Sheep , sheep , everywhere are sheep .Australia is __________ .
| A．the largest country in the world |
| B．as large as Shanghai . |
| C．not as large as China . |
| D．the largest island in the north of the earth . |
The government had made ______________ .
| A．too enough laws to fight pollution . |
| B．so many laws that it can fight pollution . |
| C．enough laws that it can hardly fight pollution . |
| D．enough laws because the pollution is very serious . |
Which of the following NOT true ?
| A．Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers . |
| B．Perth is bigger than any other city in Western Australia . |
| C．Perth lies in the west of Australia . |
| D．No other city is larger than Perth in Australia . |
In Perth you may visit a wild flowers’ show in________________ .
| A．October | B． January | C．May | D． July . |
Which of the following is true ?
| A．Australia is famous for its sheep , kangaroos and wild flowers . |
| B．We ran back to the car because we were in the middle of white sheep . |
| C．Three hundred sheep came towards us because they saw us . |
| D．If you go to the countryside in Australia , you will see a large number of whit sheep . |
Now I’m a senior high school student in Grade Two . I feel that school life is a little hard , just as my friends said . However , a hard life doesn’t have to mean a boring one at all .
School life is not just about studying and getting high marks . Getting involved in student clubs can be a unique and unforgettable experience .
Wang Tian enjoys Tuesday afternoons more than any other time of the week . Why ? Well , that’s when Wang and 47 other members of the DIY ( do it yourself ) club learn to make things such as rondo flowers ( 丝网花 ) and cross-stitch（ 十字绣 ）. Wang also knows how to knit scarves and make clay accessories（ 小饰件 ）. They even sell their products to raise money for poor students !
When Chen Mo started the High School , there was a drama club and a rock band , but no street dance club . So the girl started one . “Street dancing is dynamic and helps us relax and keep fit ,” Chen said . There are around 30 students in Chen’s club . They practice dance skills on Sundays . Sometimes they go to street dance performances in the city . “We watch , learn and make friends . People in this circle are actually very nice and sweet ,” she said .
There are dozens of clubs for me to choose from , such as basketball club or science club . But I love the translation club best . The 30 club members get together once a week . With the help of a volunteer teacher , I’ve learned the general principles of professional translation . It’s the first step to becoming a good translator . Besides ,after attending this club , my English has improved a lot .
I like my school life very much . And I believe whether a life is meaningful or not depends on the person who leads it .Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?
| A． The members in the DIY club sell their products to raise money for the club . |
| B． There are more members in the DIY club than in the translation club . |
| C． Chen Mo joined the street dance club and played an important part in it . |
| D． The members of the translation club meet on Tuesday afternoon . |
How many clubs are mentioned in the passage ?
| A． 5 | B． 6 | C． 7 | D． 8 |
The underlined word dynamic in Paragraph 4 means __________.
| A． energetic | B． helpful | C． challenging | D． attractive |
If you want to improve your English , you’ll probably join the _______.
| A． DIY club | B． science club | C． drama club | D．translation club |
We can infer that _____________.
| A．the writer feels the new school life is hard |
| B．the writer’s friends feel the new school life is hard |
| C．the writer is pleased with his new school life |
| D．every student leads a meaningful life in the new school |
OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast (抨击) the use of emoticons as “infantile (幼稚的) just like the people who use them” He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明显的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’ s an emoticon gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into (融入) something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正确的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature (不成熟的). It’s just a question of individuality. :)According to the article, emoticons are popular because ______.
| A．most of them look funny |
| B．they are easy for lazy people to use |
| C．they add feeling and character to a communication |
| D．a reader cannot understand a message without them |
Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with?
| A．Instant Message chatters are childish. |
| B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication. |
| C．Men never use emoticons. |
| D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author ______.
| A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons |
| B．thinks emoticons don’t suit him |
| C．encourage his friends to use emoticons |
| D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone |
What is the main point of the article?
| A．Advice on language used over the Internet. |
| B．The history of emoticons. |
| C．Arguments over the use of emoticons. |
| D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons. |
PEOPLE who have had a painful experience may wish they could wipe the memory from their minds. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, US, say that this may someday be possible.
A drug remains far off, but researchers have laid a foundation with their discovery that proteins can be removed from the brain’s fear center to cut memories forever.
Previous research had already shown that a special behavior therapy (治疗) could cut painful memories. But relapse (复发) was possible because the memory hadn’t necessarily disappeared.
By looking at that process, Richard Huganir and Roger Clem, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University, discovered a “window of vulnerability (脆弱的窗口)” when proteins are created. The proteins help signals travel within the brain as painful memories are made. Because the proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with drugs or behavior therapy to cut memories.
Researchers used mice to find the window, but think the process would be the same in humans. They used electric shocks to make the mice fear a certain sound. The sound triggered (触发) the creation of the proteins, called calcium-permeable (钙通透性) AMPARS, which formed for a day or two in the fear centers of the mice’s brains.
The researchers are working on ways to reopen the window by recalling (唤醒) the painful memory and using drugs to remove the protein. They published their report online last month in Science Express.
Their research has drawn interest and concern from experts in mental healthcare.
Kate Farinholt, a mental health expert with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maryland, US, said many people suffering from a painful event might benefit from erasing a memory. “Erasing a memory and then everything bad built on that is an amazing idea, and I can see all sorts of potential ,” she said.
But there are a lot of unanswered questions, too.
“Completely deleting a memory is a little scary. How do you remove a memory without removing a part of someone’s life,” Farinholt said. “And is it best to do that, considering that people grow and learn from their experiences?”What have researchers at Johns Hopkins University found recently?
| A．A new drug to erase painful memories from human brains. |
| B．A special behavior therapy to erase painful memories. |
| C．Removing certain proteins from the brain can wipe painful memories. |
| D．Erasing memory damages a patient’s brain functions. |
What makes it possible to erase painful memories according to Paragraph 4?
| A．The way the brain cells are created. |
| B．The unstable character of the proteins in the brain. |
| C．The strength of the signals the proteins send. |
| D．The drugs that can stop the formation of memories. |
Which of the following shows the stages of the process done on mice?
a. removal of fear proteins b. making mice fear a certain sound
c. fear proteins created in mice brains d. making mice recall painful memories
| A．a-b-c-d | B．d-a-c-b | C．b-c-d-a | D．c-b-d-a |
What is Kate Farinholt’s opinion of the research?
| A．People may lose the chance to learn from their bad experiences. |
| B．The research will be a great breakthrough in treating painful memories. |
| C．People could suffer long-term memory loss. |
| D．People could forget happy memories as well. |
While all my classmates seem to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars, I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won’t have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won’t be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return? Steve Minear, UK
Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory┅. For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements. Donal Trollop, Canada
There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that something before the end of the century, there will be a human colony on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that two-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space flight is in the launches and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement in another world. Enough supplies can be sent on ahead, and every two years more supplies and more people will be sent to the new colony. Mars has all the materials for a colony to produce or make everything it needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space. Paul Davies, USAThe main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is_________. .
| A．to report his classmates’ discussion | B．to invite an answer to his question |
| C．to explain the natural state of Mars | D．to show his agreement on going to Mars |
Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s ideas?
| A．There is a plan to send humans to Mars |
| B．There are many reasons for going to Mars |
| C．Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars |
| D．It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars |
Paul Davies points out that______.
| A．humans need only a one- way ticket to Mars |
| B．two-way trips to mars will be made safe soon |
| C．It is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars |
| D．It is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars |
What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?
| A．Humans will have to bring all they need from the earth |
| B．Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living |
| C．Humans can produce everything they need |
| D．Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars |