It's hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the world—it affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our national characteristics.Studies have shown that changeable weather can make it difficult to concentrate, cloudy skies slow down reaction, and hot，dry winds make many people badtempered.
If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly，you could be forgiven for thinking that the weather is random.In fact the weather is controlled by systems which move around areas of the globe.In the UK the weather depends on depressions (低压气流), often called lows，and anticyclones(反气旋)，also known as highs.These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from the west to the east.Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind.In modern times, human activities seem to be altering weather patterns.Gases produced by heavy industry change the temperature of the earth's surface，and affect cloud formation.Some researchers say that factories in Europe and North America may have been one of the causes of the droughts in Africa in the 1980s.
The human race has always tried to guess the weather，especially in areas of the world where there are frequent changes.Traditional rhymes point to early attempts to identify weather patterns; popular poems include：
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight；red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.
Flies will swarm before a storm.
Rain before 7，clear by 11.
While folk wisdom can provide a guide to help forecast weather, today's methods of prediction increasingly rely on technology.Satellites, balloons，ships, aircrafts and weather centers with sensitive monitoring equipment, send data to computers.The data is then processed, and the weather is predicted.However，even this system cannot predict weather for longer than about a week.When weather keeps changing，________.
| A．people become badtempered |
| B．people's reaction slows down |
| C．people find it hard to focus on their work |
| D．people find it easy to focus on their work |
The weather in Britain is________.
| A．random | B．moist |
| C．depressing | D．satisfying |
According to a traditional rhyme, if there is a red sky at night, the next day will be________.
| A．windy | B．rainy |
| C．fine | D．snowy |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Anticyclones often bring rain and wind. |
| B．Weather forecasting has been done for a long time. |
| C．Weather could never be predicted. |
| D．Modern methods of weather prediction are developed from folk wisdom. |
What is mainly talked about in the second paragraph?
| A．Changes in weather. |
| B．Weather in Britain. |
| C．African droughts. |
| D．Research on weather. |
For their nick-of-time acts, Toby, a 2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a cute cat, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
As Amy Paul choked(哽住) on a piece of apple at her home, her dog jumped up, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece in her throat out. When the Keesling family of Indiana was about to be killed by carbon monoxide, their cat clawed at the wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
No one could explain their timely heroics.
Both pets were rescued by their owners in infancy-----Toby as a 4-week-old thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Cathy’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk with an eyedropper.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump being used broke down, spreading carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie went to rescue, the couple’s 14-year-old son was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry sound,” Cathy Keesling said. The state police responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.
Amy Paul’s husband was at his job when she took a midday break from making jewelry and bit into an apple. “Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping Magazine that the skin has all the nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that’s what caused me to choke,” she recalled. “I couldn’t breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he did, and saved my life.”
Both Toby and Winnie accompanied their owners to the awards luncheon.Why did Amy Paul choke on a piece of apple?
| A．She was too young to care for herself. |
| B．She had a big bite. |
| C．She didn’t peel the skin as usual. |
| D．She was reading a magazine. |
Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “infancy” in Paragraph 4?
| A．babyhood | B．youth | C．middle age | D．agedness |
What caused the carbon monoxide spreading through the house?
| A．The burning gas. |
| B．A pump breaking down. |
| C．The poisonous gas. |
| D．A driver breaking into the house. |
What would be the suitable title for the passage?
| A．So Smart Animals Are |
| B．Great Honors for Cat and Dog |
| C．Unforgettable Experiences |
| D．Dog and Cat Honored for Saving Their Masters |
Outside our hotel, a seemingly ancient woman waited beside the door with her hand outstretched(张开的). Every day as our eyes met, she never to return my smile and my greeting.
On the last day of our , I was hesitating to cross the busy street alone from our hotel when I felt a hand on my elbow and looked to see the smile of my small beggar friend looking up at me. She nodded her head toward the street, that she would take me across.
Then we moved on the sidewalk, where she kissed me on cheeks and then left, still smiling and waving back to me.
Traveling in poorer nations, I have witnessed (目睹) various ways to deal with beggars. The most common response of tourists the poverty-stricken is to them and focus their eyes elsewhere. I have seen people an outstretched hand in angry annoyance. A few may drop a few coins into the hand in a hurry, that other beggars won’t immediately appear on the scene.
For many reasons, giving money is not the best to an outstretched hand. Many travelers have discovered that the greatest gift they can give is their time and . Everyone needs recognition, to feel and loved. And I believe that everyone is worthy and worth knowing.
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There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar（衣领） workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular(土话)—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane(车道), and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan(about US $700).
The life of a green collar may go something like this: Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged.
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars. |
| B．The increasing awareness(意识) of environmental protection. |
| C．New trends of life in China’s big cities. |
| D．The lifestyle of green collars. |
Green collars are living green because _________.
| A．they have a large income to use |
| B．they refuse to live an unhealthy life |
| C．they spend a lot of money and time in the open air |
| D．they devote themselves to environmental protection |
What’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?
| A．Appreciative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative(否定的). | D．Neutral(中立的). |
The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are_________.
| A．in heavy polluted areas |
| B．in faraway places |
| C．in a poor state of education |
| D．in unfavourable(不利的) conditions |
This may be music to your ears.
Researchers P. Jason Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling gave 3,500 people a personality quiz. Then they asked them to name their favorite kind of music. “We found that the musical style people like are closely linked to their personalities,” Gosling says.
RAP/HIP-HOP
Known for their quick speech, some rappers can say more than 700 syllables (音节) a minute!
If you like rap/hip-hop, you are energetic and have a way with words. You put a fresh spin on things, whether it’s new moves on the dance floor or your hip style.
CLASSLCAL
In the 18th century, classical musicians were like rock stars. Beethoven and Mozart, for example, played in packed concert halls.
If you like classical, you are open to new ideas and like debating with friends. Creative and imaginative, you can easily spend many hours scrapbooking, writing or painting.
COUNTRY
Country music came from the folk songs of English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the southeastern United States.
If you like country, you express your opinions well, which makes you the ideal class president or team captain. Traditional and loyal, you enjoy spending time with your family.
POP
Pop music is designed to appeal to (吸引) almost everyone, and it does. Each year, the industry brings in about 30 billion dollars!
If you like pop, you are attractive to your friends. You can make big things happen, like planning for a huge party or inspiring your team to victory.
ROCK
In the 1950s, rock music created a brand-new culture. Teenagers, for the first time, had an identity separate from adults and children.
If you like rock, you are a risk-taker who never accepts no for an answer. You rise to any challenge, like doing very well in a big exam or landing the lead in the school play.
If these personality profiles don’t match you, that’s OK. These are just for fun.What does the underlined part “You put a fresh spin on things” mean in the passage?
| A．You can express your idea in a clever way that makes it seem better than it really is. |
| B．You have the ability to attract others’ attention. |
| C．You are always willing to communicate with others. |
| D．You are willing to express your thoughts to others all the time. |
If you like pop music, .
| A．you are traditional and prefer to stay with your family |
| B．you are easy to accept new ideas |
| C．you are welcome and your friends all like to be with you |
| D．you have a quick speech and can say 30 words in a minute |
We can know from this passage that .
| A．in the 18th century, classical musicians were like pop stars |
| B．country music came from the old songs of the Native Americans |
| C．pop music is liked by the largest number of people in the world |
| D．everyone can find his personality in this passage |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．When music came into being. |
| B．What your favorite music says about you. |
| C．Some basic information about music. |
| D．How to like music. |
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can’t you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle (懒散的) that they’d catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain’s largest health center. The results were extremely surprising.
About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it’s no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (明显地；显然) their pets too.”
“If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks.”
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.How many people questioned don’t play with their children?
| A．1280. | B．More than 333. | C．654. | D．About 420. |
The study leads us to believe that _____________.
| A．the pets in the UK will be in trouble if their owners keep their way of life |
| B．Glasgow people feel ashamed because they don’t get enough exercise |
| C．British people are the laziest around the world |
| D．five sixths of the British children are healthy |
How does the author convince the readers?
| A．By presenting the results of a study. |
| B．By providing answers to questions. |
| C．By interviewing some experts. |
| D．By telling a story. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A study of British people’s laziness. |
| B．A study of British people’s lifestyles. |
| C．The health service in the UK. |
| D．The obesity problem in the UK. |