Most city parks are places where you can escape from big, ugly structures of metal and stone. The Manhattan High Line is different. Raised 25 feet above the ground, this massive metal structure once supported a rail line. The line opened in 1934 to bring trains directly into factories and warehouses. It was hardly used after the 1960s, and much of it was torn down. However, one section remained in an area of Manhattan called Chelsea. Chelsea was becoming more and more valuable as restaurants, art galleries and apartments were built, but the ugly railway structure remained as a dead weight. Everyone knew that at some time, it would have to be removed.
But the High Line was not destroyed. In fact, now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city. It holds an elevated park, with beautiful gardens, a sidewalk and great views of the city. The idea to change the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond. In 1999, they attended a community meeting to decide the fate(命运) of the High Line. David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the structure for its historical significance. Later on, when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line, they saw a mile and a half of wild flowers growing in the middle of the city, and they realized that the High Line had potential to become a park. There was growing interest in improving urban centers, and so the project quickly won support and funds for construction were easily obtained.
The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike. Each part of the park has a different atmosphere. Some areas are like balconies (阳台)with wonderful city views. Where the rail line goes between buildings, trees are thickly planted. Other sections have wide walkways planted with wild flowers. Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years – a railway line overgrown with weeds.The underlined phrase “a dead weight” in Paragraph 1 means_____.
| A．something with potential to be better. |
| B．something with historical interest. |
| C．something which is a danger to people. |
| D．something useless which slows progress. |
According to Paragraph 2, David and Hammond wanted to save the High Line because they_____.
| A．thought it had historical value |
| B．wanted to reopen the train line |
| C．thought it would bring them money |
| D．were interested in improving the city |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that the park ______.
| A．is different in its design |
| B．is covered with trees |
| C．didn’t change at all |
| D．became a natural countryside |
Which of the following is NOT true about the High Line?
| A．It is situated above ground level. |
| B．Only part of the line remains. |
| C．It is now a popular park. |
| D．Trains still use the line. |
More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple. The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1966, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.
The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.
In nutrition it was all good news too. This nice tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.
Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep market to itself. But other fruit companies argued successfully that Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out the market.
65 We learn from the text that the new type at pineapple is __________.
A. green outside and sweet inside
B. good-looking outside and soft inside
C. yellowy-gold outside and hard inside
D. a little soft outside and sweet inside
66. Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?
A. It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice.
B. It was less sweet and good for health.
C. It was developed by Del Monte.
D. It was used as medicine.
67. The bold word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something _________.
A. that people enjoy eating B. that is always present
C. that is difficult to get D. that people use as a gift
68. We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte _________.
A. slowed other companies to develop pineapples
B. succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself
C. tried hard to control the pineapple market
D. planned to help the other companies
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
61. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?
A. He was silent most of the time.
B. He was too proud of himself.
C. He did not love his children.
D. He expected too much of her.
62. When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel .
A. nervous B. sorry C. tired D. safe
63. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
A. More critical.B. More talkative
C. Gentle and friendly.D. Strict and hard-working.
64. The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to .
A. the author’s sonB. the author’s father
C. the friend of the author’s father D. the café owner
Language is a major problem for the European Union(EU)．The agreement or treaty (条约) which created the organization that eventually became the EU, the Treaty of Rome，stated that each country’s language must be treated equally．The original six countries had only three languages between them：French, German and Dutch . However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages，and at official meetings, the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters.
All this translating is very expensive and time consuming . It is sa
id that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches, and nearly half of the EU’s administrative (管理方面的) costs are spent on this task．In the near future it is probable that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse.
The problem is not just cost：there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages，there are 132 possible “translation situat
ions” that might be needed．It is often difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from (for example) Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard.
In practice, the problem has been made less severe by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials，since almost all of them speak some English. However, any action to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, this is strongly resisted by powerful member countries like France and Germany. What’s the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To give a solution to a problem． |
| B．To find out a problem and show how severe it is |
C．To criticize the European Union for inefficiency． |
| D．To show that the problem cannot be solved． |
According to the writer，the use of English in contacts among EU officials has _________.
| A．angered the officials who don’t speak English |
| B．increased the number of official languages |
| C．reduced the effect of the problem |
| D．been supported by powerful member countries |
The writer mentions “Danish into Greek” as an example of ________.
| A．a situation that might be difficult to deal with |
| B．a situation that occurs at times |
| C．one of the 12 situations that requires an interpreter |
| D．languages easily being interpreted |
The writer suggests that if the number of offici
al languages were reduced, ________
| A．the EU would not know which official languages to choose |
| B．countries whose languages were not used officially would be unhappy |
C．only easy languages would be us ed officially |
| D．the smaller member countries would be pleased |
“Wanted by the FBI.” To the murderer, or the bank robber, these are the most frightening words in the world. When the criminal hears them，he knows that six thousand trained persons are after him.
Why should he be so afraid? There are thousands of cities and villages where he can hide，and forests and deserts, as well. Besides, he’s usually rich with stolen money.
Money can make it easier to hide. With money, the criminal can even pay a doctor to operate on his face and make him hard to recognize. But the criminals know that as public enemies, they can be found by the FBI no matter where they hide.
They know every trick the criminal knows and many more. If he makes just one mistake，they’ll get him. That’s why the man who is wanted can’t sleep. That’s why he becomes nervous, why he jumps at every sound.
The FBI began on May 10th, 1924. General Harlan Stone chose Edgar Hoover, a young lawyer, to head the new agency . “What we need is a wholly new kind of police force,” he said. “Criminals today are smart．They use stolen cars and even planes to make their gateways. They have learned to open any lock，using advanced technology. We can’t beat them with old methods. We have to train officers to work scientifically.”
Edgar Hoover quietly went ahead with his plans. He picked his men carefully. They had to be between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. He wanted only men with good manners and good character. When working as his officers, they would have to meet all kinds of people. Hoover wanted men who could handle a teacup as well as a gun. But the FBI cannot help in every police problem. It can look into only certain crimes against the government. Solving all other crimes is the duty of local police forces．A man wanted by the FBI will find that money is ________.
| A．not at all useful | B．very helpful for a while |
| C．necessary for his crime | D．everything for him |
Before he worked with the FBI，Edgar Hoover was a ____________.
| A．policeman | B．lawyer | C．teacher | D．general |
The FBI was begun in order to ____.
| A．reduce crimes | B．bring younger men into police work |
| C．fight crimes scientifically | D．offer jobs |
A man who can “handle a teacup as well as a gun” has both ____________.
| A．courage and manners | B．strength and kindness |
| C．wisdom and energy | D．ability and humor |
President Barack Obama's speeches are proving a best-seller in Japan -- as an aid to learning English. An English-language textbook, "The Speeches of Barack Obama," has sold more than 400,000 copies in two months, a big hit in a country where few hit novels sell more than a million copies a year.
Japanese have a fervor for learning English and many bookstores have a corner dedicated (专门用于) to dozens of journals in the language, many of them now featuring the new U.S. leader's face.
"Speeches by presidents and presidential candidates(候选人) are excellent as listening tools to learn English. Obama's are especially so. His speeches are so moving, and he also uses words such as 'yes, we can,' 'change' and 'hope' that even Japanese people can memorize," said Yuzo Yamamoto of Asahi Press, which produced the best-selling text book.
Speeches by George W. Bush and former nominee(提名) John Kerry's four years ago did not have the same interest, however, and nor do those made by Japanese politicians. “We have to turn to a foreign president for someone in whom to place our hopes”, Yamamoto said.
The 95-page paperback features Obama's speeches in English from the 2004 Democratic National Convention and during the Democratic Party primaries(初选), in which he defeated Hillary Clinton. They are accompanied by Japanese translations.
The 1,050 yen ($12) book, which includes a CD of the speeches, tops the bestseller list on bookseller Amazon's Japanese Website, http://www.amazon.co.jp/. He said lawmakers from Japan's main opposition Democratic Party had bought the book to study Obama's speeches.
Following Obama's inauguration(就职典礼), Asahi Press plans to issue a sequel(续集) that includes his inaugural address, as well as President John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech. It will also feature a reading of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address of 1863.
64. Speeches by presidents and presidential candidates are excellent as listening tools to learn English because ________.the speakers are all great
B. the speakers have high speech skills
C. the language is full of humor
D. the contents are good and the words are easy to catchWhy do Japanese place their hopes in a foreign president?
| A．Because they don’t have politicians who have such a positive influence. |
| B．Because they have the same attitude as the foreign presidents. |
| C．Because they have never made a political speech. |
| D．Because they hope to have a foreigner as their leader. |
Which is true about “The Speeches of Barack Obama”?
A. It contains all Obama’s speeches .
B. It has 1,050 pages with a CD.
C. It includes his inaugural address.
D. It is an especially popular book in Japan.Which of the following can best describe the main idea of the passage?
| A．Japan speaks highly of Obama president . |
| B．Japan learns English from Obama speeches textbook . |
| C．Obama gains his fame from his election speeches. |
| D．Obama gives Japanese speeches on how to learn English. |