The Lunar New Year, which starts in late January this year, is the most important festival for Chinese people as most of them drop any business at hand to go back to their hometown to see their families. It is a tradition that has been cherished since ancient times, but as social mobility increases in modern times, the road to family reunions has become very uneasy.
It is not the higher travel costs, nor the expected big spending on gifts and other festival items, but the train ticket that has driven many travelers mad. I’ve heard some colleagues complain that they have tried every means to secure a train ticket, only to find it a mission impossible. Some of them have turned to the latest software to aid online booking; others have sought help from friends to increase the possibility of successful booking.
No doubt chunyun, the Spring Festival travel season, is the largest-scale annual human migration in the world. Last year, 220 million passengers traveled by train during the Spring Festival season, which usually lasts 40 days. It is a huge jump from 10 years ago, when the number was 128 million.
With the big sudden increase in demand, the railway company has increased investment in railway construction; still, it cannot bridge the supply gap, leading to fierce public complaints and criticism.
Admittedly, it is almost impossible for the railway company to suddenly improve its capacity to meet the explosive demand during the Spring Festival holiday. Moreover, any temporary increase in capacity would become unnecessary after the holiday and mean great commercial losses during the off season.
What the company can reasonably do is gradually improve its capacity while focusing on better distribution of its existing resources during the special peak season. At any rate, however, the problem cannot be solved overnight.Compared with ten years ago, the percentage of passengers last year increased by________.
| A．40% | B．58% | C．71% | D．83% |
Which of the following does the author probably agree with?
| A．Social mobility in modern times hasn’t changed much in these years. |
| B．The latest software may increase the possibility of successful booking. |
| C．Higher travel costs discourage travelers from reunions with families. |
| D．People nowadays cherish reunion with their families more than before. |
Which word can be used to best describe the way to solve the problem only by increasing capacity?
| A．Expensive | B．Effective | C．Hopeful | D．Impractical |
What’s the tone of the whole passage?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Objective | C．Subjective | D．Critical |
High Speed Book Scanner
Simply turning pages of a book quickly may not seem like the best way to scan it. A Japanese research group at Tokyo University has created new software that allows hundreds of pages to be scanned within minutes. Scanning text is normally a boring process with each page having to be inserted into a scanner, but the team led by Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa uses a high speed camera that takes 500 pictures a second to scan pages as they are turned by workers.
Normal scanners can only scan the information that is actually before them on the page. This high speed book scanner uses a camera that captures pages at 1000fps as they are turned. A system built in allows it to automatically correct any changes to the text due to the page bending as well as light differences due to shadows. “It takes a shot of the shape, then it calculates the shape and uses those calculations to film the scanning,” Ishikawa said, explaining the system used to reconstruct the original page.
The current system is able to scan an average 250-page book in a little over 60 seconds using basic computer hardware. While it now requires extra time to process the scanned images (影像), the researchers hope to eventually make the technology both faster and much smaller. “In the more distant future, once it becomes possible to put all of this processing on one chip (芯片) and then put that in an iPad or iPod, one could scan just using that chip. At that point, it becomes possible to scan something quickly to save for later reading,” Ishikawa said.
Being able to scan books with an iPhone may be further off, but Ishikawa says that a commercial version of the large-scale computer based scanning system could be available in two or three years. While the technology has the potential to take paper books into the digital age, it remains to be how publishers will react to people scanning their books while just turning pages quickly. According to the passage, the advantage of the new scanning software is that ______.
| A．there is no need to scan every page |
| B．it can work much more effectively |
| C．no manpower is needed in operating the scanner |
| D．it can make the scanning process more interesting |
According to Ishikawa, the scanner works by_____.
| A．changing the shape of the images |
| B．reducing the size of the images |
| C．reconstructing the original page |
| D．scanning several pages at the same time |
What is Ishikawa’s attitude towards the development of the scanning system?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Uncertain. | C．Disapproving. | D．Cautious. |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．People will get any book they like more easily. |
| B．Publishers will refuse to comment on the new software. |
| C．Publishers will probably not welcome the new software. |
| D．People won’t need to buy books any more with an iPhone. |
In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip (点滴) above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald (秃的) head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader’s cheery dressing didn’t mask her pain and weary eyes.
Then a visitor showed up. “Do you want to write a song?” asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. “Have you ever written a poem?” Anita Kruse continued. “Well, yes,” Simran said.
Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. “Some bird soaring through the sky,” she said softly. “Imagination in its head…” Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣, 唱) birds, and finally the girl’s voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.
That was the beginning of Anita Kruse’s project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help “came in one flash”.
The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling (蜷缩) in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.
“My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses,” says Anita Kruse. “But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families.”
Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the “really sweet and nice and loving” lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour. Simran Jatar lay in bed in hospital because ______.
| A．most of her hair had fallen out |
| B．she was receiving treatment for cancer |
| C．she felt depressed and quit from school |
| D．she was suffering from a pain in her back |
What do we know about Anita Kruse’s project?
| A．It helps young patients record songs. |
| B．It is supported by singers and patients. |
| C．It aims to replace the medical treatment. |
| D．It offers patients chances to realize their dreams. |
What does the case of a 12-year-old boy suggest?
| A．Most children are naturally fond of music. |
| B．He was brave enough to put up performance. |
| C．The project has positive effect on young patients. |
| D．Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses. |
What is probably the best title for the passage?
| A．Purple Songs Can Fly |
| B．Singing Can Improve Health |
| C．A Shining Moment in Life |
| D．A Kind Woman—Anita Kruse |
Chinese and Western eating habits are different. In China, the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. It is always polite to let guests or elderly people at the table taste every dish first. But in the West, everyone has his or her own plate of food.
Although there are no strict rules on how to set chopsticks and spoons, there are some things you should never do during a Chinese banquet (筵席).
Firstly and most importantly, don’t put your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish. The reason for this is that when people die, family members give them a bowl full of rice with a pair of chopsticks sticking out upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it appears that you want someone at the table to die.
Make sure the spout(容器嘴) of the teapot is not facing anyone, as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
Don’t tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite. Also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, you should not tap on your bowl. If you are in someone’s home, it is like insulting the cook.What is the difference between Chinese and Western eating habits according to Paragraph 1?
| A．In China people are very polite, while in the West people are not so. |
| B．In China people share the dishes, while in the West people eat separately. |
| C．In China people use the chopsticks, while in the West people use the knife and fork. |
| D．None of the above. |
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
| A．The reason why chopsticks shouldn’t be put upright in the rice bowl. |
| B．The Chinese use chopsticks to eat. |
| C．The Chinese eating habits. |
| D．How to use chopsticks. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It is polite to taste the dishes before the guests or the elderly. |
| B．You can put your chopsticks wherever you want. |
| C．Never tap on your bowls with the chopsticks during the meal. |
| D．Teenagers can stick their chopsticks in the rice bowl. |
The underlined word “insulting” in the last paragraph probably means “_________”.
| A．playing jokes on | B．laughing at | C．treating badly | D．looking down upon |
When I was eight, I saw a movie about an island that had an erupting volcano and jungles filled with wild animals．The island was ruled by a beautiful woman called Tondalaya, the Fire Goddess of the Volcano．It was a low budget movie, but to me, it represented the perfect life．But through the years, Tondalaya was forgotten．
The week I turned 50, my marriage came to a sudden end．My house, furniture and everything I'd owned was sold to pay debts that I didn't even know existed．In a week I had lost my husband, my home and my parents who had refused to accept a divorce in the family．
I'd lost everything except my four teenage children．I used every penny I had to buy five plane tickets from Missouri to Hawaii．Everyone said I was crazy to think I could just run off to an island and survive．I was afraid they were right．
I worked 18 hours a day and lost 30 pounds because I lived on one meal a day．One night as I walked alone on the beach, I saw the red orange lava（火山岩） pouring out of Kilauea Volcano in the distance．It was time to live my imagination!
The next day, I quit my job, bought some art supplies and began doing what I loved．I hadn't painted a picture in 15 years．I wondered if 1 could still paint．My hands trembled the first time I picked up a brush．But after an hour had passed, I was lost in the colors spreading across the canvas（画布） in front of me．And as soon as I started believing in myself, other people started believing in me, too．The first painting sold for $ 1500．
The past six years have been filled with adventures．My children and I have gone swimming with dolphins, watched whales and hiked around the crater rim （火山口边缘） of the volcano．We wake up every morning with the ocean in front of us and the volcano behind us．
The dream I had more than 40 years ago is now reality．I'm living freely and happily ever after．Why did the writer go to Hawaii?
| A．To make a living． |
| B．To spend her holiday． |
| C．To free herself from trouble． |
| D．To realize her childhood dream． |
Which of the following is the writer's dream?
| A．Get close to wildlife． |
| B．Live a free and happy life． |
| C．Live in nature with animals. |
| D．Become a successful painter． |
We can infer from the passage that _____．
| A．the writer had never done painting before |
| B．the writer's parents encouraged her to divorce |
| C．the writer's husband took away most of her money |
| D．the writer wasn't sure whether she could survive in Hawaii at first |
We all have weaknesses and strengths, no matter who we are. Sometimes the weaknesses seem to outweigh the strengths and sometimes it’s the other way around. Some people get sick easily. Some struggle to manage their money properly. Some people are hopeless communicators and struggle with relationships.
Many people accept it as just bad luck, but not everyone. Some people facing huge limitations still manage to achieve surprising things. They rise above their weaknesses and do not allow them to limit their possibilities.
I attended a school prize-giving ceremony not so long ago and the guest speaker was Andrew Becroft, who had a severe stutter(口吃) as a child. Instead of allowing this to limit him, he chose to work hard to overcome it. He is now the Principal Youth Court Judge for New Zealand. Not only did he become successful, but he did so in a profession where he had to speak in front of others regularly.
Lots of people face far more significant limitaions than you do. They may be missing limbs or are born into extreme poverty. But no matter what the limitation you will always find people who have overcome it. Brett Eastburn has no arms or legs and yet is an inspirational speaker and also a very good wrestler. Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles, came from a very poor background. He was constantly plagued with illness as a child and spent large amounts of time in hospital. Mark Inglis lost both of
his legs below the knees in a mountaineering accident, but has since climbed Mt Everest.
Most of us will never have to face the challenges these people faced. Yet most of us will never achieve to the degree that these people have either, unless we choose to. If Mark Inglis can climb the highest mountain in the world without legs, _________ ?What is the main idea of Paragraph 1? (Within 8 words.)
_______________________________________________________Which sentence in the text is the cloest in meaning to the following one?
All of the people don’t think it unlucky to have weaknesses, although many may think so.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________List three people who rose above their weaknesses according to the text. (Within 8 words.)
①_________________ ②______________ ③________________Fill in the blank in the last paragraph with proper words. (Within 6 words.)
_________________________________________________________________Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 into Chinese.
_________________________________________________________________