However urban life strikes you,cities worldwide have been growing even more rapidly.Some of this growth has occurred in the developed world,but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World.Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries
By the year 2030,for the first time in history,60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities.
This is actually good news in some ways.“Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity,” says Marc Weiss,chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development,“ both for the nation and for families.” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in most countries of the world“ there’s the crazy notion that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them,” Weiss continued.“But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city.” For better or worse,urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities.Those cities will be bigger than ever.And yet,population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects; after all,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia,and Hamburg,Germany,have the same population.Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor.“City problems,” one authority points out,“mostly have to do with weak,ineffective,and usually unrepresentative city governments.”The passage mainly discusses ______________.
A.Big cities. | B.City life. |
C.Population. | D.Gross Domestic Product. |
According to the passage,in the year of 2030 _______.
A.there will be 21 cities having a population of more than 10 million. |
B.rural area will be extinct. |
C.most people will live in cities. |
D.the third world will keep abreast with the developed world. |
In the author’s opinion,_________.
A.better city,better life |
B.both urban and rural areas have a larger population |
C.the larger population,the faster a city develops |
D.both urban and rural areas have larger gross domestic products |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A.The developing countries develop faster than the developed countries. |
B.Cities contribute more to the GDP than the villagers. |
C.Some problems are more easily solved in cities than in country. |
D.It’s impossible to solve urban problems by getting people out of cities. |
The last paragraph implies that ____________.
A.public services are ineffective. |
B.cities are increasing too fast. |
C.population is not linked with development. |
D.government should be responsible for the problems in the cities. |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study ,looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year –olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood .But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't ride out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人)may wash lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched拍average of tess than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of me than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores , it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn’t have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the Califomia study, the low-scoring group might 。
A.have watched a lot of TV |
B.not be interested ted in math |
C.be unable to go to college |
D.have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of tbe New Zealand study results?
A.Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
B.Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest[来 |
C.TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
D.The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.More time should be spent on computers.
B.Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
B.TV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms
D.Further studies on high-achieving students should be doneWhat would be the best title for this text?
A.Computers or Television |
B.Effects of Television on Children |
C.Studies on TV and College Education |
D.Television and Children's Learning Habits |
Holiday News
Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome.
Reduced prices for low season.
The Snowdonia Center
The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain 1068.The beginners’ costs are £57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.
You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime
Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another.
On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home.
During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play.
You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong.
For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
A.Choose the holiday in Devon. |
B.Go to the Snowdonia Centre |
C.Join the World Sea Trip of 2008 |
D.Visit Acapulco and Hawaii |
In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
A.It provides chances of family gatherings. |
B.It provides customers with good food. |
C.It offers a sport lesson. |
D.It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
A.You can have free meals on deck every day. |
B.You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
C.You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
D.You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
A.5. | B.6. | C.7. | D.8. |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the pas sage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.
A.f-c-e-a-b-d | B.b-e-a-f-c-d | C.f-d-e-c-b-a | D.b-f-c-d-e-a |
We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald .
A.had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama. |
B.was well educated and well off before he served in the army |
C.would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down |
D.helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital |
passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about .
A.Zelda’s personal life |
B.Zelda’s illness and treatment |
C.Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham |
D.Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world |
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient
times . Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century B C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout mostof Europe.
Umbrellas have hot changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
A.China | B.Egypt | C.Greece | D.Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
A.No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
B.The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
C.The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
D.In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
A.protection against rain | B.a shade against the sun |
C.a symbol of honor and power | D.women’s decoration (装饰) |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
A. during the Middle Ages B. by the 18th C. in Rome D .in GreeceThis passage talks mainly about_______________.
A.when and how the umbrella was invented |
B.why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
C.the development of the umbrella |
D.The history and use of the umbrella |
No one really knows how and why people change as they get older. Also, no theory sufficiently explains all the changes of the aging process. Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects different people and organs. In fact, even in one person , different organ systems “age “ at a different rate.
At a certain point in our lives our body systems will begin to weaken . It may become more difficult for us to see and hear. The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to bounce back from disease and injury. In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives.
Many factors decide our health . A good diet plays an important role. The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors. Our living condition is yet another. But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer.
There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes. Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living. Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves.
What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon. Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years!The underlined phrase “bounce back ”means “__________.”
A.jump backward | B.run fast | C.prevent | D.recover |
In order to make people live longer, scientists _______according to the text.
A.teach people how to eat properly |
B.discover how important the exercise is to one’s health |
C.study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging |
D.invent new medicine to slow down the process of aging |
Many consider the later part of life to be the time of living because they__________.
A.consider their lives have been very successful |
B.have come through the battle of life safely |
C.know more about themselves and the outside world |
D.can have a good rest and enjoy themselves |
How many factors which decide our health are mentioned in the text?
A.Two | B.Four | C.Five | D.Six |
Rules of safety are made to keep people from getting hurt. It is important for everyone to learn how to live safely while at home, work, or play. You should always remember this. Put safety first.
Safety can be practiced at home by following some simple rules. Use ladders instead of stepping up on tables and chairs. Keep stairs well lighted and clear of things for someone to trip over. Fasten down loose rugs. Turn handles of pots inward from the edges of stoves. Keep matches and medicines out of the reach of small children.Keep electric wiring in good repair.
Safety at work has been getting attention from groups of people for many years. Safer machines have been built to cut down on accidents. Red lights warn when equipment is out of order and is not to be used. The proper shoes, gloves, robes, hats, or coats help protect workers on the job.
Safety at play is important, too. Children should use swings and slides properly. Common sense by people boating and swimming will also help everyone around stay safe. Good manners and care for others are part of safety.
Living safely can be fun for you as well as for those around you, You will be able to help others think before they act. Try to work for safety in everything you do.Which of the following statements is not included in the rules listed in the passage?
A.Use ladders to reach a high place or object, |
B.Light stairs all the time. |
C.Keep wires in good condition. |
D.Keep matches out of the reach of small children. |
The first sentence in the third paragraph implies______.
A.people .have been absorbed in safety at work for many years |
B.safety at work has been an attractive problem for a long time |
C.safety at work has drawn people's attention since many years ago |
D.people paid more and more attention to safety at work |
From the last paragraph we know that_____.
A.living safely is meaningful | B.you can help others think and do |
C.we should try to work well | D.all of the above |
This passage mainly teaches us_______.
A.how to behave well | B.what we should pay attention to at work |
C.we should do things safely | D.rules of safely |