Tiredness, coughing, a runny nose and a sore throat—among all sicknesses there is probably none more common than the flu, which we all get now and then.
However, bird flu is a completely different story.
Ten years ago, the H5N1 bird flu swept across 15 countries, including China, with sufferers reporting chest pain, difficulty breathing, fever and severe coughing. More than 600 people were infected, and about 60 percent died. Now another type of bird flu hit Shanghai and three neighboring provinces, and this time the virus is called H7N9. By the afternoon of April 11, the new virus had taken nine lives out of 35 infected, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The“H”and“N”in the virus’ name refers to two kinds of proteins on the surface of the virus. Any change of the numbers of the two proteins indicates a new mutation(变异). Most of the mutations only affect birds, such as chickens and pigeons, and don’t normally spread to humans. But once they do, the results can be disastrous.
“Any time an animal influenza virus crosses to humans, it is a cause for concern, ”Malik Peiris, virologist(病毒学家)at the University of Hong Kong, told Nature magazine. Take the SARS epidemic(传染病)10 years ago as an example. The virus behind the disease is thought to have jumped to humans from animals. The virus was a complete“stranger”to human bodies, which hadn’t developed an immunity against it.
But there is something more about the new H7N9 bird flu. Unlike the H5N1 bird flu, which causes severe sickness in birds, the H7N9 has been evolving under the radar(悄悄地)since it travels between birds without causing noticeable illness. That makes it difficult to keep track of the disease.
The good news is that there’s so far no sign that the virus is spreading from person to person. But since there is no vaccine for the disease yet, the World Health Organization recommends that you wash your hands after meeting with sick people and before and after you eat or prepare food, and they also suggest avoiding contact with birds or their eggs.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
| A．The H5N1 bird flu turned out to have something to do with the SARS epidemic. |
| B．More than 600 people across the world died from the H5N1 bird flu ten years ago. |
| C．Most of the mutations of the proteins in the bird flu virus are harmful to both birds and humans. |
| D．The name, H7N9 bird flu, shows that there have been new mutations of the proteins in the virus. |
With the example of the SARS epidemic in Paragraph 5, the author intends to .
| A．introduce where the SARS virus came from |
| B．inform us of the harmful effects of the SARS epidemic ten years ago |
| C．show the horrible effects an animal influenza virus can have once it spreads to humans |
| D．compare the differences between the SARS epidemic and the H7N9 bird flu |
What makes the H7N9 bird flu more frightening than the H5N1 bird flu according to the text?
| A．It can cause severe sickness in birds. |
| B．It can spread from person to person. |
| C．It affects a greater number of birds. |
| D．It doesn’t sicken birds and thus can spread unnoticed. |
What are people advised to do to protect themselves against the H7N9 bird flu?
a. To get vaccinated for the disease.
b. To keep away from birds and their eggs.
c. To stop eating chickens and ducks.
d. To avoid meeting with sick people.
e. To wash hands thoroughly and regularly.
| A．a, b | B．c, d |
| C．b, e | D．a, e |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult．From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal （信号）．Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship．
Different cultures emphasize （强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree．For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust．Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job．In many European countries — like the UK or France —people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafés rather than at the office．
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures．I once made a speech in Thailand．I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead, there was an uncomfortable silence．The people present just stared at me and smiled．After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much．In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary．
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems．Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly．We think that they are rude．In fact, this is just because the culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly．
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other．However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment （多元文化环境）will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other．In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ______ ．
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _____ ．
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life． |
| B．By accepting different habits． |
| C．By recognizing different values． |
| D．By speaking each other’s languages． |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment |
| B．Cross-Cultural Differences |
| C．How to Understand Each Other |
| D．How to Build Up a Relationship |
There is an interesting, but at the same time a sad phenomenon now: there is a rise in the number of singers and bands that have little to do with good music．Many singers or bands know little about what good music means．What is the cause of this rise?
Most of these singers have taken music as a “job” because it is a good source of making money．And if you have a good appearance and also expensive clothes to show off at your concerts or at different appearances in public, then your voice is not as important as it should be．The public will prefer to admire more the most interesting parts of your body, whether you are a girl or a boy．They will even forget about the fact that you are there to show your music skills, not your dancing, which is important too, but not at such a high level．
Therefore, we can see many young girls on TV who look very good but who have nothing to do with music．They choose to wear very provocative（挑逗性的）clothes to catch attention, but when it comes to singing they are a complete mess and one doesn’t need to have an ear for music to notice their lack of talent．But anyway, they have concerts and they enjoy travelling from one place to another．It is the public’s fault because they accept this and are pleased with this commercial music．People who enjoy this kind of music are generally young people while adults prefer listening to old good bands．
However, the young generation should understand while appearance is important, it is less important than talent and a good voice．If somebody has a great voice and wants to become a singer, he should take some special courses in this area, because they will help them improve singing abilities．The passage shows that many singers consider music as _______．
| A．an art serving the public | B．a good way of making money |
| C．a way of living fully | D．a fashionable lifestyle |
From the passage we can learn that _______．
| A．appearance is the most important thing in the world of music |
| B．all people who have received training in singing can become famous |
| C．adults should help young people improve their abilities |
| D．a singer’s talent and voice are the most important factors |
What do you think is the author’s attitude towards the rising number of new singers and bands?
| A．Critical． | B．Supportive． | C．Tolerant． | D．Worried． |
What kind of article does this passage belong to?
| A．entertainment | B．sport | C．comment | D．Story |
Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather．But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care．Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning．
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water:
At the Lake or Pond
○Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision— lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore．
○Ponds and lakes may hide jagged（锯齿状的）rocks, broken glass, or rubbish．
○Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes．
○Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm．
○Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol（饮酒）．Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water．
At the Beach
○Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty．Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides（暗流）．Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions．
○Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over．
○Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel（顺行地）to the shore or should tread （踩）water and call for a lifeguard's help．
Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning．Which is the right behavior when swimming at the beach?
| A．Go off the water without a lifeguard on duty |
| B．Go on swimming in a heavy rain |
| C．Go off the water before checking the water conditions |
| D．Call for help if caught in a dangerous wave |
A child should_________ at a lake．
| A．swim on his/her own |
| B．be careful about weeds and grass |
| C．swim without shoes on |
| D．drink only a little wine |
Swimming at a beach is more dangerous than in a pool because．
| A．there are no lifeguards at a beach |
| B．there are currents and tides at a beach |
| C．the waters of a beach are more calm． |
| D．the waters of a pool are warmer |
The passage is probably written for ．
| A．students at school |
| B．kids who want to learn swimming |
| C．parents with little children |
| D．coaches who teach kids to swim |
In which column（栏目）of a magazine can you find this passage?
| A．Education | B．Science | C．Entertainment | D．Sports |
If you are a human, you can’t help but experience the time when everything seems to be going wrong and you feel as if your life is completely out of control．It is during the low time that words of encouragement from family, friends, coworkers or even strangers can boost your spirits．It is also during the low time that destructive words can be devastating（毁灭性的）and make you sink deeper and deeper into depression．
For example, consider this story about a group of frogs who were traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit（深坑）．All of the other frogs gathered around the pit．When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two unfortunate frogs they would never get out．
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit．The other frogs kept telling them to stop．Finally, one of the two frogs took notice of what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up．He died．The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could．Once again the crowd of frogs shouted at him to stop the pain．The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it．
When he got out, the other frogs asked him why he continued to jump when they were all shouting at him to tell him to give up．The frog explained to them that he was a little bit deaf．He thought they were encouraging him the whole time．
Every time you have a chance to say either something positive or negative to another human being, do choose the chance to say something positive! Don’t let those opportunities get away from you．Your words have a large amount of power．Use them wisely．You really never know just how much they can mean to someone else．Why did the frog that succeeded in jumping to safety neglect（忽视）the other frogs’ comments?
| A．Because he would like to jump out of the pit． |
| B．Because he could hardly hear what the other frogs said． |
| C．Because he didn’t want to give up his hope． |
| D．Because he had a positive attitude toward life． |
What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．There is no way to go when we go wrong． |
| B．Life depends on encouragement． |
| C．Destructive words will lead to death． |
| D．Words are playing an important role around us． |
The writer mainly wants to tell us ________ in the last paragraph．
| A．the power of words |
| B．positive words |
| C．negative words |
| D．the opportunities to say something |
The Internet is not perfect．There are many problems with it．
The Internet is not organized．There is no one in charge of the Internet．It is sometimes difficult to find what you are looking for．It is also easy to get the wrong information on the “Net”．
Some businessmen cheat people on the Internet．Internet thieves can steal credit card numbers．Some advertisers send spam to e-mail boxes．E-mail boxes are often filled with these unwanted advertisements．
Illegal businesses can operate on the Internet．These businesses sell X-rated materials, cigarettes and alcohol to teenagers．
The Internet has websites with information about making bombs, breaking the law and terrorism．
Criminals can fool people, especially children, in chat rooms．They can spread poisonous information and attack new members．
The Internet is the greatest advance in communication since human emerged．But it can also be like a dark alley in a dangerous part of town．Parents need to set parental controls on their children when they use the Internet．This will keep some of the bad materials away from their children．
The Internet can be dangerous to computers, too．Some people who have evil intentions enjoy causing problems for other people they don’t even know．They create computer viruses．A computer can get viruses by downloading a program that has a virus in it．Some viruses come by e-mail．
A virus can destroy the data a person has saved in computer files．A virus can cause a computer to crash．A virus can also reproduce itself! It can send copies of itself to everyone on a person’s e-mail address list．Then these people’s computers will have the same problems and can’t work normally!The underlined word “spam” in the third paragraph means __________．
| A．letters | B．products |
| C．useless information | D．poisonous information |
Why can illegal businesses operate on the Internet?
| A．Because there is no one in charge of the Internet． |
| B．Because some people like to buy banned products on the Internet． |
| C．Because X-rated materials, cigarettes, alcohol and so on can be sold well on the Internet． |
| D．Because people who operate businesses on the Internet are criminals． |
Parental controls are needed when children use the Internet because __________．
| A．children can’t use the computers well |
| B．children may damage the computers |
| C．the Internet is always unsafe for the children |
| D．poisonous information may have a bad effect on children |
We can infer from the passage that the key to solving the problems with the Internet is __________．
| A．to improve the computers |
| B．to improve people’s moral level |
| C．to order people not to use the Internet |
| D．to find a medicine to kill computer viruses |