No budget for your vacation? Try home exchanges ---- swapping houses with strangers. Agree to use each other’s cars, and you can save dollars on car rentals (租赁费), too.
Home exchanges are not new. At least one group, Intervac, has been facilitating such an arrangement since 1953. But trading online is gaining popularity these days, with several sites in operation, including Home Exchanges. Founded in 1992, with some 28,000 listings, this company bills itself as the world’s largest home exchange club, reporting that membership has increased 30% this year.
The annual fee is usually less than US$100. Members can access thousands of listings for apartments, villas, suburban homes and farms around the world. Initial contact is made via e-mail, with subsequent communication usually by phone. Before a match is made, potential swappers tend to discuss a lot.
However, the concept may sound risky to some people. What about theft? Damage? These are reasonable causes for concern, but equally unlikely. As one swapper puts it, “Nobody is going to fly across the ocean or drive 600 miles to come steal your TV. Besides, at the same time they’re staying in your home, you are staying in their home.”
Exchange sites recommend that swappers discuss such matters ahead of time. They may fill out an agreement spelling out who shoulders which responsibilities if a problem arises. It does not matter if the agreement would hold up in court, but it does give the exchangers a little satisfaction.
Generally, the biggest complaint among home exchangers has to do with different standards of cleanliness. Swappers are supposed to make sure their home is in order before they depart, but one person’s idea of “clean” may be more forgiving than another’s. Some owners say if they come back to a less-than-sparkling kitchen, it may be inconvenient but would not sour them on future exchanges.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．How to exchange homes. |
| B．The biggest home exchange agency Intervac. |
| C．The fact that home exchanges are not new. |
| D．A contrast between Intervac and Home Exchanges. |
How do home exchangers normally begin their communication?
| A．By phone. | B．Via a matchmaker. |
| C．By e-mail. | D．Via a face-to-face meeting. |
What is recommended in the passage to deal with the concerns about theft and damage?
| A．One can file a lawsuit in court. |
| B．Both parties can trade online. |
| C．One can damage the home of the other party in return. |
| D．Both parties can sign an agreement beforehand. |
The black robin (知更鸟）is one of the world's rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird and it lives only on the island of Little Mange-re, off the coast of New Zealand. In 1967 there were about fifty black robins there ； in 1977 there were fewer than ten. These are the only black/robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of course, of different kinds, large and small, and they seem to multiply (繁殖）very happily.
Energetic steps are being taken to preserve the black robin—to guard those appeal for money has been made. The idea is to buy another island nearby as a special home, a "reserve"，for threatened wildlife, including black robins. The organizers say that Little Man-gere should then be restocked (再储存）with the robin's food—it eats only one kind of seed—and so renewed for it. Thousands of the required plants are at present being cultivated (耕种）in New Zealand. The public appeal is aimed at improving the conscience of mankind, so that the wild black robin will not die out and disappear from the earth in our time at least.
In the earth's long, long past, hundreds of kinds of creature have evolved (进化），risen to a degree of success and died out. In the long, long future there will be many new and different forms of life. Those creatures that adapt themselves successfully to what the earth offers will survive for a long time. Those that fail to meet the challenges will disappear early. That is Nature's proven method of operation.
The rule of selection " the survival of the fittest" is the one by which man has himself arrived on the scene.
Life seems to have grown too tough for black robins. The black robin is dying out mainly because __________.
| A．people have been very careless about its survival |
| B．its only food is becoming exhausted(耗尽)on Little Mangere |
| C．the other birds on the island have destroyed it |
| D．the appeal for money has come at the wrong time |
The writer's attitude towards the protection of the black robins is __________
| A．active | B．passive |
| C．indifferent | D．pessimistic |
The success of other small birds on Little Mangere shows that __________.
| A．the island cannot have very much food left |
| B．something has to die out, and they can't all be winners |
| C．the big birds have all been attacking the black robin |
| D．the robin has failed to meet the challenges of life |
As regard selection and survival, the decisive factor seems to be __________
| A．the ability to adapt to changed or changing conditions |
| B．the number of wildlife reserves that are available |
| C．the concern and generosity of the public |
| D．the size of the home, or the amount of space one has to live in |
The evidence seems to suggest that __________
| A．it is a disaster for everyone when one kind of bird dies out |
| B．all creatures are concerned about the survival of others |
| C．nature expects and accepts the dying out of weaker breeds |
| D．man is to blame when such a thing happens |
Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.
When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.
One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn't name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree ！ The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.
From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.
During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so .
Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don't cherish it. We don't feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don't want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy ！ The author of the passage employed a writing way __________.
.
| A．of holding and releasing |
| B．that released first, then held |
| C．that held first, then released |
| D．that was not holding or releasing |
What the author wanted to tell us is that __________.
| A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost |
| B．think twice before you leap |
| C．treat everything calmly |
| D．cherish what you've owned |
The author came to the office early is __________.
| A．to enjoy the dew |
| B．to finish her work early |
| C．to do some cleaning |
| D．to avoid the burning sun |
The underlined word "so" in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to __________.
| A．that I couldn't see the tree any longer |
| B．that I should have taken some photos |
| C．that I had to leave |
| D．that the tree died |
“TOKYO—The number of domestic infections cases of influenza H1N1 in Japan hits 42 on Sunday after a total of 34 people in Osaka and Hyogo counties were confirmed to have been infected，”local media reported.
The total number of the infection in the country now stands at46，including the first four cases contracted abroad.
“The country is now facing the risk of grass-root outbreak which could lead the WHO to raise its new flu pandemic alert (传染病预警）to the highest level of 6 from the current 5，"experts has warned.
“The 34 newly confirmed domestic cases，11 in Osaka and 23 in Hyogo, included high school students, college students and teachers，” the health ministry and local governments said on Sunday.
Japan on Saturday confirmed the first eight cases of domestic infection on students of a Kobe high school. The later confirmed cases in Osaka are said to have contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. Osaka and Hyogo are neighboring in the Kansai region.
All of the 42 people had no record of overseas travel.
"Meanwhile, a total of 143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School where many infections in Osaka were found, have shown symptoms of influenza since around Mondays，" according to local media reports.
The privately run school said it would be closed from Monday through Saturday.
" More than 1，000 educational facilities—kindergartens, and elementary, junior and senior high schools—in Osaka and Hyogo counties have decided to suspend classes for certain periods following the confirmation of new flu infections in the counties，"Kyodo News reported.
The two counties have requested private schools to follow suit.
Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto held a meeting of a new flu task force on Sunday and decided to ask facilities such as movie theaters to suspend operations to prevent the spread of the flu.
TV clips showed people in Kansai region started to wear masks in public spaces and rushed to drug stores for buying medicines.
The Japanese government on Saturday shifted the stage of its new-flu action program from "a period of overseas outbreak" to "a period of domestic outbreak" and called for companies and schools in the areas concerned to allow individuals to avoid commuting (出行）during rush hours.
The Kyodo News quoted Masato Tashiro, a member of the World Health Organization's emergency committee, as saying that several hundred people in Japan already may have been infected with the new flu. According to the passage, the total number of the H1N1 infection in Japan now is __________.
| A．42 | B．34 | C．46 | D．143 |
The reasons for the happening of the later confirmed cases in Osaka are the following except __________.
| A．143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School have shown symptoms of influenza |
| B．Some students in a Kobe High school got infected |
| C．Osaka and Hyogo are next to each other in the Kansai region |
| D．The later infected people contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match |
What is the implied meaning of what Masato Tashiro said in the last paragraph ？
| A．The real situation about the new flu in Japan may be worse than it has been reported. |
| B．Several hundred people have been infected but they don't know it. |
| C．The WHO has to raise its new flu pandemic alert to the highest level. |
| D．The who's emergency committee are trying to confirm the number of infection in Japan. |
The purpose of the passage is __________
| A．to introduce the domestic infection cases in Japan |
| B．to draw people's attention to the worsening situation |
| C．to give some advice on preventing the spread of the flu |
| D．to call for educational facilities in Japan to suspend classes for some time |
Why People Get Tattoos(文身）
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed (刺)him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo. His friend Tony had recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by it that he decided to get one too. Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tat-toos today.
The desire to be accepted by one's friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a person's friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same thing.
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America. A wide variety of media images (人物，图像)show tattoos—people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines , fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful patterns. These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status. As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value.
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings—in other words, to show their individuality (个性). A musician in a rock band may get a tat-too of a guitar on the arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders. A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.
As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform, a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality. The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself. For Jack, it was a mixture of all the three. Jack has got tattoos in order to __________.
| A．show his great bravery |
| B．gain a special experience |
| C．make himself more healthy |
| D．be different from others |
According to the passage, media images are linked to __________.
| A．traditional lifestyle | B．social position |
| C．cultural background | D．public interest |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．some people get tattoos out of pressure |
| B．a tattoo is related to religious belief |
| C．getting tattoos costs a lot of money |
| D．most people with tattoos are artists |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP： Central Point P： Point SP： Sub-point(次要点）C: Conclusion
Brazilian football star Robinho，24，started his career in the English Premier League in a way no one, including himself, ever expected.
Having rebelled (反叛）against his former club, Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, he could no longer stay. But then, he didn't have the slightest intention of going to Manchester City. Just the day before the transfer window was closed, Robinho called a press conference to tell the media that his mind was made up: He was going to Chelsea.
However, Madrid had sold him to City at the last minute, because the club made an offer far higher than Chelsea.
One of the summer, s longest-running soap operas ended dramatically, with a twist that wasn't in the script. “I wasn't even thinking about City，” Robinho admitted.
The forward is now wearing the sky blue of a club that had won nothing in 30 years, instead of the darker blue of a club that won two of the last four Premier League titles. Yet it seems the change hasn't affected the striker so far. His amazing form has shown the club that he deserves the British record transfer fee of £ 32，5 million they had paid. On October 26，he scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed (击败）Stoke 3-0. He took his City goals tally (积分）to six in eight games.
"My main objective is that the team does well, but my personal objective is that I achieve 30 goals，“ he said. "I still have a lot to give and to learn. “
Robinho is fluent in Spanish as well as his native Portuguese, but has still not started learning English. He promises that in six months, he will be able to speak the language without problem. “ My English so far is two out of 10. I haven't started ray language classes yet as I'm still living in a hotel. But as soon as I move to my own place, I will have more time for that. In six months' time, my English will be 10 out of 10. ” Robinho once serviced __________ before he transferred.
| A．Chelsea | B．Real Madrid |
| C．Manchester City | D．AC Milan |
Robinho transferred to Manchester City because __________.
| A．it was his dream that was to play in Manchester City |
| B．Manchester City is better than Chelsea |
| C．Manchester City made a higher offer than Chelsea |
| D．ha had to go to Manchester City with no choice |
The underlined sentence really means that __________.
| A．a long soap operas ended at last |
| B．a long term match ended finally |
| C．Robinho's career ended at last |
| D．Robinho's transfer ended with an unexpected result |
How do you think Robinho speaks English now?
| A．Not well | B．Quite fluently |
| C．Just so-so | D．Not mentioned |