With the average home in the capital selling for 19,548 yuan a meter in November, a tiny mobile home built by a 24-year-old office worker is creating a stir(震动) online.
Dai Haifei built the 6-square-meter pad(住所) because he could not afford to buy or rent in the capital.
Dai’s new home costs him 6,400 yuan and he has been living in it for nearly two months in courtyard at Chengfu Road, Haidian district.
Dai, who is one of the millions of migrants who moved to the capital from other parts of China seeking a better life and better job, said he realized his financial burden had become too great.
The Hunan native said he simply could not make ends meet(收支相抵) when he became an intern at a Beijing-based construction design company in 2009.
“I rented a home at the very beginning--a small room in an apartment that cost me about 900 yuan per month,” said Dai in an interview with local media. “It was too expensive for me. ”Dai’s father works on a construction site in his hometown and his mother is a cleaner.
Dai, who ended up becoming a formal employee of the company, figured out his own way to solve the problem---with inspiration from a housing design project at his company’s exhibition early this year.
The project, named“An egg given birth to by the city”, included a series of egg-like movable houses, with a karaoke house, chair house and trader’s house in it.
Dai, who borrowed 6,400 yuan from an older cousin and who got additional help from several friends, decided to make one of his own. He spent nearly two months building his“egg house”in his hometown, a village in southeast Hunan that is around 1,700 kilometers from Beijing.Where is this passage probably taken from?
A.A story book. | B.A cartoon film. | C.A news report. | D.A research report. |
What is Dai Haifei?
A.An official of government. | B.A journalist. |
C.An office worker of a company. | D.A manager of a company. |
Why did he build the pad?
A.Because he will sell it for money. |
B.Because he has no house to get married in. |
C.Because he doesn’t have enough money to buy or rent a house. |
D.Because he wants to get help from the society. |
Which statement is not TRUE?
A.He comes from a Hunan village. |
B.He has lived in the egg home for two months. |
C.He got the idea from a friend. |
D.He once rented a room. |
What’s the writer’s attitude?
A.Supporting. | B.Puzzled. | C.Criticizing. | D.Objective. |
The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
A.many famous buildings were destroyed |
B.the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
C.some people lost their lives |
D.the King's bakery was burned down |
Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?
A.Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
B.Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
C.To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire. |
D.To show that poor people suffered most. |
How was the fire put out according to the text?
A.Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down. |
B.All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed. |
C.People managed to get enough water from the river. |
D.The king and his soldiers came to help. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (扩散)of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow.
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
A.(a) and (b) |
B.(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) |
C.(a), (b), (c) and (d) |
D.(a), (b) and (c) |
Two students started quarreling at school. One student shouted dirty words at the other, and a fight began. What can be done to stop fights like this at school? In some schools, the disputants sit down with peer mediators(同龄调解者). Peer mediators are students with special training in this kind of problems.
Peer mediators help the disputants to talk in a friendly way. Here are some of the ways they use:
1) Put what you think clearly but don’t say anything to hurt the other. Begin with “I feel…” instead of “You always…”
2) Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don’t stop the other person’s words.
3) Keep looking at the other person’s eyes when he or she talks.
4) Try to see the other person’s side of the problem.
5) Never put anyone down. Saying things like “You are foolish” makes the talk difficult.
6) Try to find a result that makes both people happy.
Peer mediators never decide the result or the winner. They don’t decide who is right and who is wrong. Instead, they help the two students to find their own “win-win” result.The underlined word “disputants” refers to the students ________.
A.who make peace | B.who give in | C.who are lazy | D.who quarrel |
When there is a fight at school ________.
A.the peer mediators decide who the winner is |
B.the peer mediators and the disputants talk together |
C.the students who quarrel decide who the winner is |
D.the two students sit down and listen to the peer mediators |
Peer mediators’ work is ________.
A.to give lessons to disputants |
B.to find out who starts a quarrel |
C.to give students some special training |
D.to help find a way to make both sides happy |
Which of the following ways is not used by Peer mediators in finding a “win-win” result?
A.Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. |
B.Try to see the other person’s side of the problem. |
C.Never say things like “You are foolish” |
D.Never keep looking at the other person’s eyes when he or she talks. |
In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes(性别) are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally(通常) see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve(神经) tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation(创造) and the expression for emotions(情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are.Which of the following is best to outline(概括) the article?
A.Research on the brain. | B.Differences between men and women |
C.People’s different brains. | D.Who Are Better, Boys or Girls |
________men and women think differently.
A.Sex makes. | B.The different brains make |
C.The different experiences make. | D.The influences of society make. |
According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at __ in your school.
A.mathematics | B.physics | C.English | D.Chemistry |
Which of the following is true?
A.The right side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls. |
B.The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys. |
C.Men are better than women in all things. |
D.The area in girls’ brain used for language skills develops better. |
Rivers are one of our most important natural resources. Many of the world’s great cities are located on rivers, and almost every country has at least one river flowing through it that plays an important part in the lives of its people.
Since the beginning of history, people have used rivers for transportation. The longest one in the United States is the Mississippi. The lifeline of Egypt is the Nile. To the people of India , the Ganges is great, but it is also important for transportation; ships can travel along it for a thousand miles. Other great rivers are the Congo in Africa and the Mekong in southeast Asia, The greatest of all for navigation(航海), however, is the Amazon in Brail, It is so wide and so deep that large ships can go about two thousand miles upon it.
Besides transportation, rivers give food, water to drink, water for crops, and chances for fun and recreation for the people who live along their banks. In order to increase the supply of water for crops, engineers sometimes build a dam across a river and let a lake form behind the dam. Then people can use the water not only to irrigate their fields but also to make electricity for their homes and industries.
However, large cities and industries that are located upon rivers often make problems. As the cities grow in size and industries increase in number, the water in the rivers becomes polluted with chemicals and other materials. People are learning the importance, however, of doing more to keep their rivers clean if they want to enjoy the benefits of this natural resource.
The greatest river for navigation is .
A.the Amazon | B.the Nile |
C.the Mekong | D.the Mississippi |
Which is wrong according to the passage?
A.The Nile is an important river in India. |
B.Almost every country has at least one important river. |
C.Many cities are located on rivers. |
D.Rivers play an important part in the lives of people. |
From a dam, people can use the water for .
A.keeping the rivers clean |
B.only making electricity |
C.washing clothes |
D.irrigation and making electricity |
The water in the river is polluted because of .
A.people’s drinking water too much |
B.people’s swimming in the river too much |
C.chemicals and other materials |
D.people’s building a dam across a river |
The main idea of the passage is about .
A.Rivers in cities | B.The importance of rivers |
C.Transportation | D.Natural resources |
Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies.
Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated(不时中断) by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities.
The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves.
It is usual to have a hot Christmas in Australia because _________.
A.the country is in the Northern Hemisphere |
B.people go shopping in shorts and T-shirts |
C.the festival is not in winter but in summer |
D.Santa Claus is on a surfboard at many beaches |
According to the passage, _________ is not included in Christmas meals in Australia.
A.ham | B.pork | C.turkey | D.pumpkin |
Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage?
A.Tourists like to have Christmas dinner on a beach |
B.People play outdoor activities at home after picnic. |
C.Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve |
D.Sydney enjoys Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. |
It seems that people can enjoy Carols by Candlelight because of _________.
A.the warm weather |
B.the Christmas Bush |
C.the activities at daytime |
D.the Southern Cross stars |
The best title of this passage is _________.
A.Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs |
B.Christmas meals in Australia |
C.Christmas in Australia |
D.Christmas shopping in Australia |