On June 15th，2012，millions of people watched as 33yearold Nik Wallenda walked across one of the world's greatest waterfalls on a tightrope(钢丝)．What made the 25－minute walk that was televised live and watched by over 13 million people worldwide even more amazing，is that it was done over the Niagara Falls－An action that had never been attempted before.
Even though Nik was wearing a harness(保护带)，a safety measure provided by ABC，the television network that broadcast the event，his action to keep his balance against the strong winds made for some heart－stopping(令人担忧的) moments for the audience.
Nik，however，never slowed down for even one moment.Wearing special shoes made by his mother，he remained totally focused on the job at hand.It was only when he got to the last stretch near Canada's Table Rock that he knelt down on one knee and finally broke into a smile.Waving and blowing kisses to the cheering audience，he knew he had accomplished a great task，which most people had thought impossible.
While he described the whole experience as peaceful and relaxing，Nik said his biggest challenges came from a totally unexpected source－his 40 pound balancing pole.The balancing pole was so heavy that he could hardly carry it on the tightrope.
One would think that now that Nik has realized his lifelong dream he would be ready to hang up his “balancing pole”．However，the adventurer who already has seven Guinness World Records under his belt，is just getting started－Next up? A 5，000－foot tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon.While the one across the Niagara Falls took years of planning because he had to convince the US and Canadian officials，this one should happen in the very near future.That's because，the Florida resident has already been granted(授予) a permit by the Canyon officials.Why did so many people fix their attention on the event?
A．Because it was done by Nik Wallenda.
B．Because nobody had done it there before.
C．Because it was broadcast live by ABC.
D．Because it was impossible to do the event.What made the audience hold their breath during Nik's performance?
| A．How Nik managed to cross the Niagara Falls with safety measure. |
| B．What Nik would do when he lost his balance on the tightrope. |
| C．How Nik kept his balance against the strong winds. |
| D．How long Nik will take to finish the event. |
What was the greatest difficulty for him to face in Nik view?
| A．The supplied tightrope. |
| B．The safety belt. |
| C．The balancing pole. |
| D．The audience's noise. |
What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Nik will go on with his dream. |
| B．Nik's life dream is changing. |
| C．Permission of governments is important. |
| D．The Grand Canyon is a dream for Nik. |
A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin caner, actually increases the risk.Researchers from the University of Yale based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanomas (黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.But questions have been raised about sunscreen and whether it may have the opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer—people with fair skin and freckles (雀斑), for example—are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.The underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means .
| A．evidences | B．facts | C．faults | D．failures |
People with fair skin and freckles .
| A．seldom use sunscreen | B．are more in danger of skin cancer |
C．can be free from the harm of the sun | D．often expose themselves to the sun |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．sunscreen users get skin cancer more often |
B．the volunteers have prov ed the effect of sunscreen |
C．the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers |
D．the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer | ||
| B．Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer |
C．Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen |
D．Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles |
One fine afternoon, I was walking along Fifth Street when I remembered that it was necessary to buy a pair of socks. Why I wished to buy only one pair was unimportant. I turned into the first sock shop that caught my eye. A boy clerk, who could not have been more than seventeen years old came forward. “What can I do for you, sir?” he said “I wish to buy a pair of socks.” I replied.
His eyes shone. There was a note of excitement in his voice. “Did you know that you had come into the finest place in the world to buy socks?” I had no idea of that, as my entrance had been accidental. “Come with me,” said the boy, eagerly. I followed him to the back of the shop, and he began to pull down box after box from the shelves, showing their contents (内装物)for my choice.
“Hold on, lad” I said “I am going to buy only one pair!” “I know that,” said he, “but I want you to see how beautiful these are. Aren’t they wonderful!” There was on his face an expression of seriousness and pride and delight as if he were showing me the secrets of his religion（宗教信仰）. I became far more interested in him than in the socks. I looked at him in surprise. “My friend, ” said I, “if you can keep this up, if this is not merely from having a new job, if you can keep up this high spirit and excitement day after day, in ten years you will own every sock in the United States.”What did the writer want to buy one fine afternoon?
| A．A pair of shoes. | B．A pair of socks. |
| C．Two pairs of socks. | D．A set of books. |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．The shop was on the Second Road. | B．The boy was 18 years old. |
| C．The boy was not in high spirits. | D．The writer entered the shop by chance. |
What the writer said in the last paragraph means that ______.
| A．if you don’t work hard, you will lose the job |
| B．you should keep on following your customs |
| C．if you keep up your great interest in your work, you will succeed in the future |
| D．if you are too hardworking, you will fail |
We have been providing performing arts information for over 14 years. Here you can search for plays, musicals, concerts and operas across the UK.
| Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess at Apollo Theatre Children will be happy to see and sing along with their favorite characters. Bob, with his hard-working team, builds a new eco-centered wind farm in Sunflower Valley. This show is full of fun, and provides an educational message to help children learn about caring about the environment, recycling and, of course, teamwork. [Kids show] Dates: From 1st November, 2009 to 8th May, 2010, at 19:00. Price information: ￡20.00 to ￡40.00 |
| The Lion King at Sunny Theatre It is taken from an African story. A young lion grows up and learns that taking over the pride requires wisdom. [Musical] Dates: From 24th September, 1999 to now. Tuesday to Saturday at 14:00. Sunday at 15:00. Not on show on Monday. Price information:￡22.5 to￡65.00 |
| Mother Courage and Her Children at National Theatre Mother Courage sells food and clothing to soldiers and tries to keep her business and children alive at all costs during the war. Her encouraging story is told through humor and song. [Play] Dates: From 9th September, 2009 to 8th December, 2009 Price information:￡10.00 |
| Duke Bluebeard’s Castleat Coliseum Theatre Full of curiosity, Judith persuades her husband to give her the keys only to discover a glowing jewel house, a garden of flowers, a kingdom, and a lake of tears. But what is behind them? [Opera] Dates: From 6th November, 2009 to 28th November, 2009 Nov 6, 10, 12, 20, 25 at19:30. Nov 14, 28 at 18:30 Price information:￡22.00 to ￡50.00 |
The main purpose of the text is to inform readers of____.
| A．film posters |
| B．performance information |
| C．the theatre’s advice |
| D．picture exhibitions |
Which performance will be on show for the shortest period of time?
| A．Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess |
| B．The Lion King |
| C．Mother Courage and Her Children |
| D．Duke Bluebeard’s Castle |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The first three shows are inspiring. |
| B．The shows are intended for children. |
| C．All of them have won many awards. |
| D．The characters in the shows are brave. |
This is the age of being busy. Many of us live in busy places and have busy lives. Even the roads are busy as we try to get from here to there. Adults are busy going to jobs and taking care of their families. Kids are busy, too, going to school and doing a lot of homework after school and on weekends.
Busy isn’t bad, necessarily. If you are not busy enough you might be bored. But if you are too busy, you might break down. For example, if you have a soccer game that runs late on a school night and you haven’t eaten dinner or done your homework, that’s a not-so-fun kind of busy. We wanted to know what kids thought, so we did a kidsPoll about being busy with 882girls and boys aged 9 to 13.
Almost all of them said they felt stressed because they were too busy. About half said they felt this way once in a while or some of the time. But 17% said they felt this way most of the time and 24% said they felt this all the time! Oh dear, that’s no fun.
Only 4% of kids said they wanted less free time and 18% said they already had just the right amount. But, no big surprise, 61% of kids wish they had a lot more free time. If they had more time, most would spend it hanging out or playing with friends.
Often, adults plan large parts of a kid ’s day, especially during the school year. kids can’t tell their parents they’ll be skipping school(逃学) today to get more free time! But they can tell their parents they’d like to play a game or read a book during their free time instead of watching TV.The purpose of the first paragraph is to _____.
| A．Introduce the topic |
| B．Support the main idea |
| C．Raise the topic sentence |
| D．Attract the readers’ attention |
By giving the example of a late soccer game, the writer intends to tell us______.
| A．Being too busy is bad for the kids |
| B．It is no fun to be busy for the kids |
| C．Homework should go before gam. |
| D．Being busy may cause the kids to feel bored |
According to the passage, the KidsPoll is done to carry out research on _____.
| A．How kids arrange their free time |
| B．What kids think of being busy |
| C．How many kids felt stressed |
| D．What kids do with their study |
From the passage, we can infer that the writer agrees kids can_____.
| A．Spend their free time hanging or playing out |
| B．Get a lot more free time from their parents |
| C．Have a right amount of free time with permission |
| D．Get more free time from school work sometimes |
Eric and Doris King Turner are packing their bags for New Zealand. They're busy deciding what to pack and what to leave behind in Britain and are making plans to extend their new home in Nelson. Doris is looking forward to getting the garden into shape and Eric has his heart set on a spot of fly fishing. The difference is that Eric is 102, Doris is 87. Eric thinks he's Britain's oldest emigrant.
In January next year Eric King Turner and his wife of 12 years will wave goodbye to their neighbors, and set sail from Southampton on the voyage of a lifetime. The ocean liner (远洋客轮)Saga Rose will take six weeks to get to Auckland and the couple are expecting a red-carpet welcome from family.
Doris was born in New Zealand but gave up her homeland when the couple met and married in the late 1990s. But New Zealand is close to both their hearts and the attraction of family and friends, and the good fishing helped to persuade them to move.
Doris, who has five children and nine grandchildren, supported her husband's application to settle in New Zealand. The paperwork took five months. Eric says, "We not only had to produce a marriage certificate（证书） but we had to produce evidence that we were in a long and stable relationship!" He also said he was not asked about his age but had to show that he could support himself financially (财政上) in New Zealand.
"I like New Zealand. The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded." His wife has always been “a little bit homesick” but has never complained. Now the couple are in the middle of the task of sorting out possessions and selling their flat.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．They decided to leave all the things behind in Britain. |
| B．The wife always complained about the life in Britain. |
| C．The couple will set up their new home in Nelson. |
| D．Doris and Eric will go to New Zealand to hold the wedding. |
The underlined word "emigrant" in Paragraph 1 probably refers to a person who___.
| A．lives in a country forever | B．moves from one place to settle in another |
| C．travels around the world | D．visits many places in a country |
What makes the couple's move to New Zealand special?
| A．Their age. | B．The red carpet. |
| C．The ocean liner Saga Rose. | D．Their marriage certificate. |
The best title of the passage may be .
| A．Better late than never |
| B．Eric and Doris King-Turner are packing their bags |
| C．To leave or not to leave, that's the problem |
| D．Eric, 102, leaves Britain with his wife |