Plastic is everywhere because plastic is an extremely useful material. It is cheap, strong and lightweight. What’s more, it can take on nearly any form or shape, from soft and stretchy (有弹性的) to hard and glasslike.
Plastic, however, is far from perfect. It may even be bad for us. Studies now suggest that poisonous chemicals can get out of some types of plastic, get into our bodies, and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, birth defects and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (注意缺陷障碍).
Two types of chemicals in particular have raised special concern lately. They are called phthalates (邻苯二甲酸盐) and Bisphenol-A (二酚基丙烷), BPA for short. Not all plastic products contain them. But the ones that do are surrounded by controversy (争议). That’s because experts disagree on how dangerous these chemicals are.
Plastic is a single word, but plastic isn’t just one thing. What all plastics share in common are plasticizers -- special chemicals that allow the material to be changed into nearly any shape or texture. Plasticizers (塑化剂) are added to plastic during the manufacturing process.
Phthalates and BPA are two types of plasticizers that work in different ways. Phthalates add softness to things like shampoo bottles, raincoats and rubber. They are also used in perfumes and makeup. BPA, on the other hand, gives a hard, clear, almost glasslike feel to products such as infant bottles. BPA also appears in food and soda cans, DVDs and other unexpected places.
How do these chemicals get into us? When plastic is heated in the microwave or dishwasher, chewed on or scratched, the chemicals can seep (渗透) out of the plastic. Even though we can’t see them, we eat them, drink them and breathe them in.
Scientists and parents are especially worried about young children, who tend to chew on everything, including plastic. Dozens of countries, including the European Union, Japan, Canada and Mexico have already banned phthalates from products made for children younger than three. California and Washington have done the same. And a number of other states are considering similar rules. As for BPA, Canada became the first country to ban the chemical from baby bottles. A dozen states are considering it.What can we know about the plastic from the first paragraph?
| A．Its characters and effects. | B．Its wide use and bad points. |
| C．Its importance and chemicals. | D．Its popularity and advantages. |
Which of the following products contains BPA?
| A．A soft plastic cup. | B．A pencil eraser. |
| C．A baby milk bottle. | D．A new perfume. |
Phthalates and BPA can get into us __________.
| A．through mouth or nose | B．through blood transfusion |
| C．by feeling plastic products | D．by heating in the microwave |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A new ban on plastic products. | B．Problems caused by the plastic. |
| C．Good points of the plastic. | D．The use of plasticizers. |
2008 will be remembered by us Chinese people as a year of sadness and happiness. May of the year sadly saw the Great Sichuan Earthquake, the worst earthquake in China over 30 years. It killed around 70,000 people. Tens of thousands were injured or went missing.
However, to our delight, China also hosted its first Olympic games that summer in Beijing. It was a very successful games with a great opening ceremony. 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records were made. And China came out first with 51 gold medals.When did the Great Sichuan Earthquake happen?
| A．In 2005. | B．In 2006. | C．In 2007. | D．In 2008. |
About 70,000 people ______ in the earthquake.
| A．were killed | B．were injured |
| C．went missing | D．went hungry |
How many gold medals did China win at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?
| A．175. | B．132. | C．51. | D．43. |
We Chinese people were ______ in 2008.
| A．sad | B．happy | C．neither sad nor happy | D．both sad and happy |
Two magazines recently listed the best cities to live in. Here are two of the cities listed as “the world’s best.”
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA The city has comfortable weather all year round (15°C to 26°C ). Housing is not very expensive in San Jose. Also, many of the city’s older neighborhoods are very beautiful and have small hotels and cafés(咖啡馆). Beautiful mountains are around the city. You can visit them easily from San Jose. So lots of people go sightseeing there every year. But air pollution is a problem in the city center.
HONG KONG, CHINA This lively city—once a small fishing village—is today an international business center. It is an interesting mixof East and West, old and new. Modern tall buildings are next to small temples (庙宇). Popular nightclubs are close to traditional teahouses. Busy people fill the streets at all hours of the day. But outside the city, there are parks for walking or relaxing. Hong Kong is famous for its wonderful native dishes. There’s also food from Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia. However, this small city has a large population. Nearly 7 million people live in Hong Kong! That’s why housing is often very expensive. Traffic and air pollution are also a problem.Which of the following is not mentioned about San Jose?
| A．The weather. | B．The mountains. | C．The air. | D．The traffic. |
What makes Hong Kong the world’s best according to this passage?
| A．The lively city and the wonderful dishes. | B．The beautiful mountains and the lively city. |
| C．The expensive housing and the food. | D．The city and the people. |
The writer thinks housing in Hong Kong is expensive because.
| A．it was a small fishing village | B．it is a mix of East and West |
| C．it is famous for its wonderful food | D．there are too many people in the city |
What do the two cities have in common?
| A．They both have beautiful mountains. | B．They both have a large population. |
| C．Air pollution is a problem in both. | D．They are both crowded. |
From the passage, we can know that .
| A．San Jose and Hong Kong are the only two cities of the world’s best |
| B．San Jose has more natural sights than Hong Kong does |
| C．the weather in both cities is fine |
| D．Hong Kong is the more popular city of the two |
Going back to school is a very exciting event for my two boys. It means getting new school bags and books, and seeing friends again after the summer holiday.
My oldest son, 9-year-old Salem, asked me several times where we would go to buy a backpack, while my other son, 6-year-old Abdullah, asked what school would be like this year.
For the last three years, school was a nightmare for many children and their parents as violence increased and there were more attacks on schools and teachers. As a result, many parents prevented their children from going to school. One of six children in this country did not attend primary school in 2009. Many kids who did attend school were accompanied by a parent for the entire day to make sure nothing happened to their children.
For poor families or those with large families, back to school can be an expensive time. The government gives some help to those living in poor neighborhoods, and school bags, note books and other items(商品) are given for free.
Most of the merchants who sell notebooks and pens now sell their products out on the street instead of in stores. They sit on the ground and lay their items on the ground or they have a small table to sell their goods.
The bags cost between $10 and $20, while clothes and shoes cost between $20 and $30. I found all the things I needed for my sons and even bought something for myself. I spent about $50 on each of them, including school uniforms.
At the end of the day, we returned to our home carrying many shopping bags filled with items that made my children happy and excited to go back to school. I just hope this school year will be a peaceful one. The author’s children are ________ to go to school.
| A．eager | B．afraid | C．unwilling | D．surprised |
The underlined word “nightmare” is the closest in meaning to ________.
| A．fantasy | B．dream world | C．prison | D．terrible situation |
Many children are not going to school mainly because of ________.
| A．the terrible education system | B．security problems and poverty |
| C．parents’ distrust in schools | D．the government’s inability |
As a parent, the author ________.
| A．is unable to afford his kids’ schooling | B．is unwilling to send his kids to school |
| C．hopes his kids have a happy school life | D．complains school education costs too much |
Which of the following statement is NOT true?
| A．Many parents prevented their children from going to school for great study pressure. |
| B．School bags, note books and other items(商品) are given to those living in poor neighborhoods for free. |
| C．The author spent about $100 for her two sons. |
| D．The items the author bought made her children happy and excited to go back to school. |
Mother’s Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she’s special to you. Finding the right for Mom on that day is not always easy. We often want something personal and thoughtful. But how can we make it? These following ideas may help you.
Gift of Time
Moms just want to spend time with their children so make it a Mother-Daughter/Son day. Spend the whole day with her. Do the things she likes doing with her.
Home Video
Take your family videos and make them a short home video. She can enjoy it whenever she misses you. Although it may take a lot of time, the process(过程) can be great fun and the result is often priceless(无价).
Mom Mix
Make a CD for her. It’s a collection of all the songs that remindher of you and your growing up.
Write a Letter
Write a letter instead of a simple card. Write about all the good memories you have with her and all the things she has done for you.
Flowers
People send carnations(康乃馨) on Mother’s Day. You can easily spend a lot of money on them. If you have flowers in your garden, or can handpick them, it can be a great gift.
Dinner
Make a dinner and invite her over. You can also take it over to her house and surprise her. Just don’t’ forget to wash the dishes after the dinner.Why is it not easy to find a right gift on Mother’s day?
| A．Because we want to save money |
| B．Because mothers don’t like gifts. |
| C．Because we always want to get something special |
| D．Because mothers are very difficult to deal with |
Making a home video may be _______.
| A．fun | B．boring | C．easy | D．nothing |
What does the underlined word “remind” mean in Chinese?
| A．使……防范 | B．使……想起 | C．使……经过 | D．使….. 痛苦 |
How many kinds of ideas have been mentioned here for Mother’s Day?
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
From the passage we know _________.
| A．you can buy a big cake for your mom on Mother’s day |
| B．writing a letter is better than sending a simple card to your mom on Mother’s Day. |
| C．inviting your mom to eat in a restaurant is a good gift for her. |
| D．buying carnations for her is a good way. |
International experts meeting in Australia say global carbon emissions (排放) can be reduced by more than 50 percent through simple energy saving measures. People at a conference in Australia, which increasingly relies on coal for power, say that reducing power consumption is an affordable way to both cut energy costs and reduce pollution.
While many nations turn to cheap and dirty energy sources, such as coal, to meet their increasing energy needs, analysts in Australia say the best way to meet those needs is to improve energy efficiency.
A range of simple solutions include using energy-efficient homes, household appliances and lighting, and driving electric cars. Encouraging homeowners and office workers to switch off their televisions and computers at the end of the day is also seen as an effective way to save electricity.
Grayson Heffner, from the Paris-based International Energy Agency, says reducing consumption could greatly cut global carbon emissions. He calls efficiency strategies (策略) the “soft giant” of clean energy.
“We forecast that energy efficiency will deliver something like three-quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the next 20 years. So in the short term energy efficiency is the main way that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions but oftentimes it is not so importantly stressed in the discussions,” said Heffner.
Energy experts working in China say the government is making significant cuts in power usage.
Wan Xingwang, a Beijing-based representative of the Energy Foundation, a U.S. non-government organization, says the results have been impressive.
“In the past five years China achieved about 19.1 percent of energy reduction of its GDP. That translates to something like more than 600 million tons of coal savings,” said Wan Xingwang.
While most nations have some sort of government-sponsored energy efficiency programs, energy analysts say initiatives (主动性) by individuals and companies can also help cut demand.
Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a non-profit group based in Washington, says other developing nations are recognizing the benefits of cutting power consumption and taking action.To increase their energy supplies, many nations _____________________.
| A．turn to new energy | B．turn to cheap energy |
| C．develop solar energy | D．introduce clean energy |
Which of the following cannot help to reduce energy consumption effectively?
| A．Using electronic products in small size. |
| B．Using more electric cars. |
| C．Turning off computers after work. |
| D．Building energy-efficient houses. |
What can we learn from what Grayson Heffner said?
| A．75% of the greenhouse gas emissions can easily be cut in the next 20 years. |
| B．Ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be discussed. |
| C．Using clean energy is the strategy to cut global carbon emissions. |
| D．The key to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term is to improve energy efficiency. |
According to the last two paragraphs, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The programs reducing energy consumption shouldn’t be sponsored by individuals and companies. |
| B．All nations have government-sponsored energy efficiency programs. |
| C．It is time that all nations should combine their efforts to save energy. |
| D．Some developing nations are taking action to cut power consumption. |