One of the most popular activities enjoyed by Americans is spending time in forests and walking along paths through the country.This activity,called hiking,has led to the creation of paths throughout the United States.
One of the longest is the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.The trail is the first completed part of the National Trails System.The trails system was established by Congress and the president in 1968.The Appalachian Trail is more than 3,400 kilometers long.It starts in the northeastern state of Maine and ends in the southeastern state of Georgia.The trail goes through 14 states.They are Maine,New Hampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,Connecticut,New York,New Jersey,Pennsylvania,Maryland,West Virginia,Virginia,Tennessee,North Carolina,and Georgia.
The path takes walkers through the Appalachian Mountains.They extend from the Canadian province of Quebec to the southern American state of Alabama.
The Appalachian Mountains are among the oldest on Earth.They first began forming about one thousand million years ago.During the millions of years since then,the mountains were changed and reformed by the forces of water and wind.Ice also changed the mountains,making many of them smaller and digging valleys and lakes among them.Many different kinds of trees grow along the trail.And many different kinds of animals live in the forests along the trail.
Lands along the trail are protected by the federal government and by state governments.Some parts are not protected by the government directly.Instead,they are protected by legal agreements with private owners willing to permit people to walk across their property.
Walkers on the Appalachian Trail pass through some of the great valley systems of the mountains.They can look down into these beautiful valleys and see farms and forests stretching across the land for many kilometers.Farmland in the valleys is rich and productive.And some of the great events in American history took place in the valleys.For example,one of the great battles of the American Civil War was fought in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.The Appalachian Trail________.
A.is more than four thousand three hundred kilometers long |
B.starts in the northern state of Maine |
C.goes through more than fourteen states |
D.ends in the southeastern state of Georgia |
The Appalachian Mountains________.
A.are the first completed part of the National Trails System |
B.began forming one million years ago |
C.were changed by natural forces like water,wind and ice |
D.were around by valleys and rivers and famous for its scenery |
The lands along the trail________.
A.are protected entirely by either the federal government or state governments |
B.are mainly protected by legal agreements with private owners |
C.can be visited by travelers freely only under the permission of owners |
D.are protected by both the federal government and state governments |
What is mainly described in the last paragraph?
A.The Appalachian Mountains have some great valley systems. |
B.Farms and grasslands stretch across the valleys for many kilometers. |
C.One of the American independence battles was fought in the Shenandoah Valley. |
D.Lakes in the Appalachian Mountains are one of the most beautiful sights. |
When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note—“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically(魔术般)appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often ,my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer.
A.to show his magical power | B.to pay for the delivery |
C.to satisfy his curiosity | D.to please his mother |
What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy's house?
A.He wanted to have tea there. |
B.He was a respectable person. |
C.He was treated as a family member. |
D.He was fully trusted by the family. |
Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A.Nobody wants to be a milkman now. |
B.It has been driven out of the market. |
C.Its service is getting poor. |
D.It is forbidden by law. |
Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A.He missed the good old days. |
B.He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
C.He needed it for his milk bottles. |
D.He planted flowers in it. |
Women turn to online shopping
Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping,according to a study published last week in the US.
For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women,but during the 2004 holiday season 58 percent of those making online purchases were women.
“It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming”,said Lee Rainie,a director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group,which carried out the study.
Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 were responsible for some of the most dramatic(显著的)increases in the online gift-buying population this time around.
However,three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2004.They worried about credit card security,or just compared online prices with off-line prices,then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
“But even if shoppers don’t buy online,websites are becoming promotion tools for stores,”said Dan Hess,vice president of Comscore Networks Inc.Hess said that actually most stores’ websites can make shoppers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time.
“It’s all about making the shopping experience more efficient,more reliable and more comfortable,” Hess said.Which of the following statements is true?
A.There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2004. |
B.Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women. |
C.People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online. |
D.More women shopped online than men in 2004. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
A.men usually decide how to spend money in the family |
B.women usually decide what to buy in the family |
C.the Internet is used in all the shops. |
D.more and more shops will sell their goods online. |
What can we know from the passage?
A.American people only buy gifts in holidays. |
B.Shopping online is fun for women. |
C.Shopping off-line provides better service. |
D.Young people like to do gift-shopping online. |
In general, people talk about two groups of colours warm colours and cool colours. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people people who prefer warm colours and people who prefer cool colours.
The warm colours are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colours and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, those who like to be with others, like red. The cool colours are green, blue and violet. These colours, unlike warm colours , are relaxing. Where there are cool colours, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colours than in a room with cool colours. He suggests that a warm colour, such as red or orange is a good colour for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colours are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly.
Researchers do not know why people think some colours are warm and other colours are cool. However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colours remind people of warm days and the cool colours remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.Which of the following colours belong to cool colours?
A.Yellow, green. | B.Blue, violet. |
C.Black, blue. | D.Brown, white. |
Which of the following statements is not true?
A.Sociable people like warm colours. |
B.Warm colours can make people excited. |
C.People who like to be with others don’t like red. |
D.Where there are warm colours, people want to be active. |
Which is the right colour for different rooms?
A.Red or orange for offices. |
B.Orange for dining-rooms. |
C.Blue for bedrooms. |
D.Red for studies. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.It shows the reason why people think some colours are warm and others are cool. |
B.Warm colours remind people of warm days. |
C.Cool colours remind people of cool days. |
D.People have an agreeable opinion of warm colours and cool colours. |
You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists(拳头). But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead!
Of course he isn’t really dead. With any luck he isn’t even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars of even catch fire, are professionals(专业人士). They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen(替身演员). That is to say, they perform tricks.
There are two sides to their work.They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress(床垫). Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar!
But although their work depends on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman’s success depends on careful timing(时间测量). For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion(爆炸)just at the right moment.
Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff(悬崖)a thousand feet high. His parachute failed to open, and he was killed.
In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are stunt-girls too!Stuntmen are those who
A.often dress up as actors |
B.prefer to lead dangerous lives |
C.often perform seemingly dangerous actions |
D.often fight each other for their lives |
Stuntmen earn their living by
A.playing their dirty tricks | B.selling their special skills |
C.jumping out of high windows | D.jumping from fast moving trains |
Usually when a stuntman falls from a high building
A.he needs little protection |
B.he will be covered with a mattress |
C.his life is endangered |
D.his safety is generally all right |
What can be inferred from the author’s example of the Norwegian stuntman?
A.Sometimes an accident can occur to a stuntman. |
B.The percentage of serious accidents is high |
C.Parachutes must be of good quality. |
D.The cliff is too high. |
When you are visiting New York City with kids,there are numerous things to do which will entertain their spirits and feed their minds.
•The Whispering Gallery
Make your way to the Whispering Gallery. The Whispering Room's architecture allows for a phenomenon that usually sparks a lot of giggles. Once inside the gallery,place one person facing the corner at one end of the room and then place another person facing the corner at the opposite end. Ask one of the participants to whisper a phrase or a quick sentence or two and the person at the opposite end will be able to hear every word that was said.
E.42nd St.
New York,NY 10017
2127715322
grandcentralterminal.com
•American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History was founded in 1869.In addition to its impressive exhibits,permanent attractions bring the cool feeling to kids. They can enter the Fossil Halls and take in the impressive dinosaur skeletons. And the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life educates kids on the fragility of the ocean.
Central Park West at 79th St.
New York,NY,10024
212—769—5606
amnh.org
•The Scholastic Store
Most parents want their children to read,and moreover,to enjoy reading. The Scholastic Store helps to make that wish a reality by publishing engaging,well written stories that appeal to children. With classics such as Clifford the Big Red Dog,The Magic School Bus,and Harry Potter,the Scholastic Store will delight your children.
557 Broadway
New York,10012
212—343—6100
scholastic.com
•Ellen's Stardust Diner
The restaurant is a place where each person in your family can find something to eat .At Ellen's Stardust Diner,a diverse menu will whet everyone's appetite. Arugula salads,grilled cheese,burgers and meatloaf are all on this varied menu. The hall of beauty queens,a drive-in theatre and wait staff that sing to you can add to the unique dining experience.
•1650 Broadway,corner of 51st St.
•New York,NY 10019
•2129565151
ellensstardustdiner.com Once children visit the Whispering Gallery they'll find it ________.
A.interesting | B.splendid | C.disappointing | D.frightening |
Which of the following websites helps the kids learn about the ancient ocean life?
A.ellensstardustdiner.com | B.grandcentralterminal.com |
C.amnh.org | D.scholastic.com |
You would like to get your children interested in reading so you can bring them to visit ________.
A.the Whispering Gallery | B.the Scholastic Store |
C.Ellen's Stardust Diner | D.American Museum of Natural History |
In addition to your favorite food in Ellen's Stardust Diner you can also ________.
A.make some good friends |
B.see many beautiful queens |
C.receive the first—class service |
D.enjoy some entertaining programs |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A.Tips for travelling around New York City |
B.Children would like to travel in big cities |
C.Things to do with kids in New York City |
D.Entertaining activities in the United States |