Have you ever had travel problems because your airplane was late? It is a common problem and it is getting worse. Airport delays make people angry and cost the country billions in lost work time.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government agency that oversees air travel. They studied the problem of airline delays.
They found eleven major problems and suggested eleven ways to fix them. Some of the problems are caused because different regions of the country do things differently. The regions don't talk to each other enough. Some of them need new computers.
Also, more planes are flying. A strong economy has more people using airplanes to get around. Airplanes are a form of mass transportation now, like trains and buses were in the past. More planes in the airport cause delays.
The airport in San Francisco is a good example. It is growing fast. Many people go through San Francisco to get to other places around the world. Ron Wilson of the San Francisco International Airport says, “If you've got 18 flights that all want to take off at 8：00 am and you're on the 18th plane in line, you're going to be 40 minutes late.”
Weather is another main reason for delays. Weather causes about 70% of delays. Fog or freezing rain can cause delays.
The first thing the FAA wants to do is take control away from the regions during heavy traffic times and bad weather. A national center would make decisions on things that affect the whole country. The FAA also wants to put more distance between planes in the sky when the weather is bad. This rule could cause even more delays.
The FAA knows that their solutions will not solve the problems with airport delays. But, they hope to make things better. There are just too many planes, too few traffic controllers, and not enough new technology.FAA found that some of the delay problems are caused by ________ between two regions.
| A．different languages |
| B．technical misunderstanding |
| C．misunderstanding of the rules |
| D．lack of communication |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for airline delays?
| A．A growing number of flights. |
| B．Bad weather. |
| C．A growing population. |
| D．Lack of new technology |
From the passage we can infer that ________.
| A．FAA is a national center which controls all the flight matters |
| B．FAA has taken control to solve airport delays |
| C．in San Francisco, each plane will delay about 40 minutes |
| D．safety rules during bad weather may cause more delays |
Which of the statements best gives the idea of the passage?
| A．FAA should make decisions to stop airport delays. |
| B．Airport delays are on the rise. |
| C．Travel problems cost billions in lost work time. |
| D．FAA has taken control of air traffic nationwide. |
America is growing older. Fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect American society in many ways: education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the aging of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have quite a different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various ages.
A person’s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother or my father was at my age.” No one says “Act your age.” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.It can be learned from the text that the aging of the population in America _______.
| A．has made people feel younger. |
| B．has changed people’s social position. |
| C．has changed people’s understanding of age. |
| D．has slowed down the country’s social development. |
The underlined word “one” refers to _______.
| A．a society | B．America |
| C．a place | D．population |
“Act your age.” Means people should _______.
| A．be active when they are old. |
| B．do the right thing at the right age. |
| C．show respect to their parents young or old. |
| D．take more physical exercises suitable to their age. |
Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles(车座).
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent(威慑) to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it, this will prove the bicycle belongs to you.Which part of the article gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it?
| A．Locks | B．Marking |
| C．Registration | D．Basic Security |
The article advisess you to keep a record of your bicycle ____________.
| A．in the bike shop and your computer. |
| B．in a police station and security company. |
| C．in a security company and your university. |
| D．by yourself and in a security company. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．More than 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year. |
| B．Leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. |
| C．Taking a photograph of your bike will help prove the bicycle belongs to you. |
| D．Always lock your bicycle even if you don’t leave. |
The main purpose of this article is _____________.
| A．to tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen. |
| B．to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe. |
| C．to give you advice on where to buy a good lock. |
| D．to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place. |
A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.
Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.
When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."
The son was missing. If she had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.
Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “the apple of their eye”?
| A．A person who always has a sweet smile in their opinion. |
| B．A person who is as pretty as an apple in their opinion. |
| C．A person who is loved more than anyone else in their opinion. |
| D．A person who looks like an apple in their opinion. |
Why didn’t the father pick the boy up himself?
| A．He was very lazy. |
| B．He thought the mother had picked him up. |
| C．He forgot to pick him up. |
| D．He was too tired to do it. |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Be careful in everything you do. |
| B．Love is the most important thing. |
| C．Learn to forgive others. |
| D．Everyone can make mistakes. |
What do you think of the husband?
| A．Warm-hearted. | B．Careful. |
| C．Hard-working. | D．Broad-minded. |
It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday—which burnt him like fire.
He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness.
Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight—munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. “Hello!” Ben said, “I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for Ben’s apple while he kept painting the fence.
Ben said, “That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”
Tom turned suddenly saying “Here you are! Ben! I didn’t notice you.”
“I’m going swimming,” Ben said. “Don’t you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?” Tom said, “Work? What do you mean ‘work’?”
“Isn’t that work?” Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Do you mean that you enjoy it?”
“I don’t see why I oughtn’t to enjoy it.”
“Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently” said Tom.
Ben stopped munching his apple.
Tom moved his brush back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. After a short time, he said, “Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, “No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right.”
“Oh, come on, let me try. I’ll be careful. Listen, Tom. I’ll give you part of my apple if you let me paint.” “No, Ben, I’m afraid—” “I’ll give you all the apple!”
Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but alacrity in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys.
Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village.
Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.By using “Tom continued painting and answered carelessly”, the author shows Tom ______ when he was talking to Ben.
| A．made mistakes | B．damaged things |
| C．was natural | D．wasn’t concentrating |
The underlined word “alacrity” in the last but two paragraph most probable means “______”.
| A．kindness | B．discouragement |
| C．sympathy | D．eagerness |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ________
| A．Tom did not want to go swimming at all |
| B．Tom was asked to help Aunt Polly paint the fence |
| C．Tom did not get along well with his friends |
| D．Tom was very busy that Saturday afternoon. |
We can draw a conclusion from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．forbidden fruit is sweet. |
| B．a friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．all good things must come to an end. |
| D．a bad excuse is better than none. |
One day my 13-year-old daughter told me that she was going to spend the afternoon at her friend Jesse’s house. I didn’t doubt it until I called Jesse’s number to remind Liz that it was her turn to walk the dog, and Jesse’s mom picked up the phone and said, “I thought she and Jesse were planning to be at your house.” It turned out that the two of them had decided to hang out at a coffee shop instead. When I questioned my daughter, she replied coldly, “What’s the big deal? You’re such a psycho(精神变态者).”
Can you say it is right or wrong for them to behave like that? Their changeable personalities leave you feeling angry and guilty at the same time. In fact, if your kids don’t annoy you from time to time, you’re not doing your job.
“There’s nothing wrong about being angry with your child,” Says Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D., author of The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting. “Conflict is natural when your innocent, lovely child turns into an adolescent who can hardly tolerate (忍受) you. It’s part of the process of separation.” Kids insisted on their individuality with behavior to purposely drive you crazy. It’s their way of saying, “I am my own person” -- but doing it in a context that’s safe and that has clear limits.
So when your little darling changes into a silent person who still expects meals, clothing, and transportation, don’t panic. Here’s how to handle some common problems without losing your temper or your self-respect.It can be learned from the first paragraph that ________.
| A．Jesse’s mother told a lie |
| B．the writer was too sensitive |
| C．Liz told a lie to her mother |
| D．the writer’s daughter stayed at Jesse’s house |
By saying “In fact, if your kids don’t annoy you from time to time, you’re not doing your job”, the writer probably means that _________.
| A．when you are doing a job, your kids shouldn’t annoy you |
| B．parents should be responsible for children’s bad behavior |
| C．parents shouldn’t tolerate their children’s bad behavior |
| D．it’s understandable for kids to annoy their parents |
What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?
| A．It’s right for parents to be angry with their children. |
| B．It’s allowed for children to do anything as they like. |
| C．It’s bad behavior for children to drive their parents angry. |
| D．It’s normal for adolescents to go against the wishes of their parents sometimes. |
What would the writer state in the following paragraphs?
| A．How to be good parents. |
| B．How to be good children. |
| C．Rules for children to follow. |
| D．How to deal with adolescents’ common problems properly. |