Amusement parks make most of their money from admission fees paid by guests attending the park. Other sources include parking fees, food and drink sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles:
Pay-as-you-go In this form, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then buy rides one by one, either at the attraction’s entrance or by buying ride tickets. The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity (复杂性) or popularity. The park may allow guests to buy unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park. A pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission.
Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go form. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Soon, the problems of dealing with so many coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park vocabulary. In this new form, guests bought ticket books that contained a number of tickets, with “A,” “B” and “C.” Rides and attractions using an “A-ticket” were generally simple, with “B-tickets” and “C-tickets” used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the “D-ticket” was added, then finally the now-famous “E-ticket,” which was used for the biggest rides, like Space Mountain. Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, gave up this practice in 1982.
The advantages include:
guests pay for only what they choose to experience
attraction costs can be changed easily
The disadvantages include:
guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously
guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirsWhat is the passage mainly about?
| A．Attractions of amusement parks |
| B．Admission fees of amusement parks. |
| C．Admission principles of amusement parks |
| D．Sources of income of amusement parks. |
According to the pay-as-you-go principle, guests _____.
| A．don’t pay at the gate of the park |
| B．must pay for each ride they take |
| C．have to pay for all rides in the park |
| D．needn’t pay after entering the park |
According to the passage, what is the meaning of the underlined word “Initially” in Paragraph 3?
| A．Gradually. | B．At the beginning. | C．At last. | D．Commonly. |
What would be introduced following the passage?
| A．The other admission principle |
| B．Amusement parks’ earnings. |
| C．Some other admission principles |
| D．Users of the pay-as-you-go principle. |
The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放）by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important- is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency (效率)，which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher，‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. ’In other words，old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information，it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈） facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors，could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面），suggesting that individuals’behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted 一 whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example. Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
| A．zero-carbon homes |
| B．the behaviour of building users |
| C．sustainable building design |
| D．the reduction of carbon emissions |
The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to”________.”
| A．the ways | B．their homes | C．developments | D．existing efforts |
What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
| A．The importance of changing building users, habits. |
| B．The necessity of making a careful building design. |
| C．The variety of consumption patterns of building users. |
| D．The role of technology in improving energy efficiency. |
The information gap in energy use _______.
| A．can be bridged by feedback facilities |
| B．affects the study on energy monitors |
| C．brings about problems for smart meters |
| D．will be caused by building users’ old habits |
What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?
| A．The social science research is to be furthered. |
| B．The education programme is under discussion. |
| C．The behaviour of building users is unpredictable. |
| D．The behaviour preference of building users is similar. |
“A very destructive seven-year old child kicked my legs and scratched at my hand,” said one teacher. “I broke up a fight and was kicked,” said another. Many people have heard stories like this. But the situation is more worrying still and it involves parents.
Every child, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential, regardless of their parents’ wealth and class. And we recognize that, as a nation, it is a long way to achieve this goal. But rights come with responsibilities and what worries people is that we are in danger of neglecting the latter.
Far too many children are behaving badly at school, even to the point of being violent to staff. This is terrible enough，but it is hard to be surprised since many children are just mirroring the behavior of their parents. Too many are starting school unable to hold a knife and fork, unused to eating at a table，and unable to use the lavatory properly.
We are in danger of becoming a nation of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep, has become the living space for the young. Spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or being immersed in computer games, children and young people spend little time with their parents. Parents are unable to monitor just what their children are watching.
Schools cannot right the wrongs of society and teachers cannot become substitute parents. Both parties need to work together. Parents must be helped and given confidence to take back control. They are responsible for setting boundaries for their children’s behavior and sticking to those boundaries when the going gets tough. They are responsible for setting a good example to their children and for devoting that most precious of resources---time---so that children come to school ready and willing to learn. What problem do people ignore in the writer’s opinion?
| A．The school violence. |
| B．The pressure of students’ learning. |
| C．The right to achieve students’ potential. |
| D．Students’ responsibilities. |
The writer’s attitude to the behaviors of parents may be that of .
| A．dissatisfaction | B．sympathy | C．understanding | D．tolerance |
The underlined part in Paragraph 4 may mean .
| A．children don’t live with their parents in the same room |
| B．parents care little about children’s life at home |
| C．children spend little time with their parents at home |
| D．parents attempt to establish a good relationship with their children |
From the last paragraph,we can infer that.
| A．school can’t correct the wrongs that society does to teachers |
| B．teachers have no responsibility for playing the role of parents |
| C．parents should spend time with children making them ready to learn |
| D．students are responsible for making themselves known in society |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children’s behavior at school is worrying people |
| B．Parents expect schools to correct their children’s bad habit |
| C．There is no point in parents’teaching children at home |
| D．Don’t blame teachers when it’s parents who are failing |
Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children．In spite of the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and Albert, had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art．After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement．They would toss a coin．The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother who attended the academy．Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy．
Tossing a coin, Albrecht Durer won and went off to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation（轰动）．By the time he graduated, he had earned considerable fees for his outstanding works．
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant（胜利的）homecoming．Albrecht drank a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled him to complete his dream．“And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn．Now you can go to Nuremberg to look for your dream, and I will take care of you．”
Tears streaming down his pale face, Albert sobbed, “No．．．no．．．It is too late for me．Look．．．look at what four years in the mines have done to my hands！The bones in every finger have been broken at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis（关节炎）so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less draw delicate lines with a pen or a brush．”
To show thanks to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands”, but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed it “The Praying Hands”．The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, let it be your reminder—no one ever makes any success alone！Why did the two brothers work out the agreement？
| A．They were so curious as to make a joke． |
| B．Their family couldn’t afford the academy． |
| C．One of the brothers was supposed to go into mines． |
| D．They wanted to support the other sisters and brothers． |
The underlined word “whose” in Para．2 refers to _____ ．
| A．the Durer family’s | B．the miners |
| C．Albert’s | D．Albrecht’s |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Albrecht Durer？
| A．He began to earn his living after graduation． |
| B．He did perfectly well at the academy． |
| C．He wanted his brother to go to the academy． |
| D．He created great masterpieces． |
Which of the following is the correct order of the story？
a．Albrecht went to Nuremberg．
b．Albert supported his brother．
c．The Durer family held a festive dinner．
d．Albrecht drew his brother’s injured hands．
e．The brothers tossed a coin．
| A．b, a, c, d, e | B．a, e, c, d, b |
| C．e, a, c, b, d | D．e, a, b, c, d |
What can we learn from the story？
| A．One can achieve success simply on his own． |
| B．Any success requires the help of others． |
| C．It’s other people who contribute to one’s success． |
| D．Nobody could succeed without good guidance． |
Before I had my son, I spent two years working with children with disabilities. I learned that shouting and threats of punishment would result in a disaster. Coming up against their behaviour could only make the job harder and their behaviour more extreme. I found something that worked, though.
There was a very naughty boy in the nursery and a teacher who was generally very confident with the children was asked to take charge of him. One day the boy joined a session in the room next to mine. His appearance created an atmosphere of tension. He spent the entire session running around, hitting and kicking, and destroying property.
I was in the craft room working with some other children when my co-worker told me that this boy’s teacher was in tears, and could not get control of the situation. As we were talking, the boy ran in. I told my co-worker that I would take care of him.
I closed the door. He was full of energy, throwing things around and making a huge mess. But I could see that he was doing all these to annoy me. He needed connection, and this was the only way he knew how to ask for it. So I sat back down and kept quiet. Then he slowed down and began making a rocket. I talked to him about it. We continued like this for a few minutes before I slipped into the conversation:
“So what happened today?”
It was purely a question, no blame or anger in my tone. I believe that if I had criticized him, the gate that was slowly opening would have shut firmly closed. He told me that the teacher didn’t let him do what he knew well due to safety but asked him to do what he disliked. He also admitted that he had enjoyed making her run around and saw it as a game. I explained that his teacher had not seen it as a game and was very upset. This again was stated simply as a fact. I suggested that next time he had a session, he talk about what he hoped to do at the start, which might be easier for everyone. He agreed and was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at me with tears in his eyes before quietly asking if he could go to find his teacher to apologize. The boy made trouble for his teacher because he ______.
| A．was accused of destroying property |
| B．was told not to yell at other children |
| C．was made to do things against his will |
| D．was blamed for creating an air of tension |
Why didn’t the author do anything about the boy’s bad behavior at first?
| A．She didn’t want to make it worse. |
| B．She didn’t mind the huge mess at all. |
| C．She was tired of shouting and threats. |
| D．She hadn’t thought of a coping strategy. |
The author managed to get the boy to talk to her by ______.
| A．playing games with him |
| B．giving him a good suggestion |
| C．describing his teacher’s feelings |
| D．avoiding making critical remarks |
Why did the boy have tears in his eyes in the end?
| A．He was sorry about his reputation. |
| B．He was regretful about his behavior. |
| C．He was fearful of the author’s warning. |
| D．He was sad for the author’s misunderstanding. |
When computer salesman Li Guang and his girlfriend Huang Minxia saw on TV the destruction caused by the unexpected earthquake,they quickly filled their car with bottled water and instant noodles and drove more than 160 miles to lend a hand.
“It’s a small car,but we just wanted to help,” said Li,from Chongqing,a city next to the hardest-hit Sichuan province.
Donations (捐赠) are flooding in,more money than charities (慈善) in China collected all of last year,and so are volunteers.
In the week since the quake,donations have totaled $1.3 billion—85 percent raised within China.
Many,like Li,are taking advantage of growing private car ownership and a new,expanding highway system to join the line of government and army assistance toward the epicenter.
Across the disaster region,thousands of cars decorated with large handwritten signs—“Hardship comes from one direction,help comes from everywhere” and “For the people,for the Beijing Olympics”—were coming from as far as the capital,Beijing,more than 900 miles away.
Private cars crowded so thickly on roads that the police set up donation drop-off points outside cities and towns to clear the way for army and government assistance.People living in tents along the roads posted handwritten signs asking for urgently needed items—water,rice,vegetables.Cars paused to hand out a box or two and then drove on.
Instead of waiting for government-organized charity drives,people quickly acted on their own.Bank account (银行账户) numbers for making earthquake donations flashed on Web logs and mobile phones.Blood donation centers were overwhelmed (使应接不暇) by offers and began asking citizens to register (登记) in advance.
“People are really united this time,and they’re acting on their own without waiting to be asked.It sounds corny,but we’re taught in schools and from our parents about helping others,” said Ge Jian,the company’s general manager.What did Li Guang and his girlfriend Huang Minxia intend to do soon after the earthquake?( )
| A．They intended to help the victims in the quake-hit areas. |
| B．They were on the way to a pleasant journey in Sichuan. |
| C．They were told to do something for the disaster. |
| D．They wanted to find their friends in the epicenter. |
What does the underlined word “corny” most probably mean?( )
| A．Out of date. | B．Heart-broken. |
| C．Funny. | D．Disappointing. |
According to the passage,all the following statements are true EXCEPT.
| A．The good road system made it possible for more private car owners to rush to help. |
| B．The local people in the quake zone were short of food and drinks. |
| C．More money was collected from overseas than within China for the earthquake. |
| D．People across China were taking active part in the rescue work. |
Why did Blood donation centers advise people to register ahead of time?( )
| A．Because they were expecting more money rather than blood. |
| B．Because they had collected enough blood for the disaster. |
| C．Because they were ready to go to the epicenter and they were much too busy. |
| D．Because too many people were offering to donate blood. |