As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us. Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks. The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem.
Sharks, in particular, are “in” these days. Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.
The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction(灭绝)—up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins. But we have started to reverse the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu.
In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations.
Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years. These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins.
Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products. These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life.
Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business. The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury(奢侈的)goods has become a fullscale war. The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming. Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for highend products that rely on killing animals. The underlined word “reverse” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
| A．show | B．keep |
| C．follow | D．change |
From the passage, we know ________.
| A．Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular |
| B．a lot of wild animals have been killed for products |
| C．Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks |
| D．the number of African elephants has been increased |
．What can we infer from the passage?
| A．More animals for highend products will be saved. |
| B．People have kicked the habit of having shark fin soup. |
| C．Shark fins will not be available any more in restaurants. |
| D．Global efforts have succeeded in stopping killing wild animals. |
In the last 500 years nothing about people-not their clothes, ideas, or languages has changed as much as what they eat. Chocolate (巧克力) drink was first made from the seeds of the cacao (可可) tree by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became popular, In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important places. Some still exist today. The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent (依赖的) on it that thousands of Irish people starved (挨饿) when the crop failed during the years of 1845-1846, and thousands more were forced to go to live in America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world's largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400s. According to an Arabic story, coffee was discovered when a goat keeper named Lakdi noticed that his goats were eating red fruits on a coffee tree. He tried one and
experienced the "wide-awake (彻底清醒的)" feeling that one third of the world's population now starts the day with. According to the passage, which of the following changed more than others?
| A．Clothes. |
| B．Ideas. |
| C．Languages. |
| D．Foods. |
Chocolate drink was first invented in while coffee was first invented in _______.
| A．Spain; Brazil |
| B．South America; the Old World |
| C．Spain; Ethiopia |
| D．London; Rent |
In 1845, thousands of Irish people were forced to live in America mainly because .
| A．Ireland became dependent on the potato |
| B．the potato was brought to Europe from Peru |
| C．they could easily get potato in America |
| D．the production of potatoes reduced(减少) |
According to the passage, who first made chocolate drink from the seeds of the cacao tree?
| A．People in Peru |
| B．People in Brazil. |
| C．South American Indians. |
| D．People in Ethiopia. |
From the passage we can conclude (得出结论) that millions of people drink coffee .
| A．in the morning |
| B．at noon |
| C．in the afternoon |
| D．in the evening |
When Josephine Cooper was growing up, she learned the importance of charity from her parents. Although they made a modest living for their family of 10, they insisted on sharing with those less fortunate.
Half a century later, Mrs. Cooper became a beloved volunteer at the San Diego Food Bank, where she devoted herself to helping others. She organized and ran a distribution center from a church, helping it become
the organization's largest emergency food distribution center in San Diego. She was one of 25 outstanding senior volunteers in the nation selected and invited Washington D.C. to receive the award.
"She was the main person who helped us make that program grow," said Mike Doody, former director of the Food Bank. "She had a way of getting people to work together and to work hard. She was determined and stubborn, but in a good way. She had a good heart." People knew her as "Grandma" because of her selflessness and her devotion to helping hungry children and families. "She reminded people of their Grandma." Doody said.
As a widow with a young child in 1979, Mrs. Cooper was helped through a difficult financial time when the Food Bank provided her with groceries. "She devoted her life to giving back," said her daughter, Monica Cooper. It wasn't unusual for a local church to call Mrs. Cooper to ask her to aid a needy family. "She would give people food out of her cupboard. Sometimes we would cook a meal for a family living out of their car," Cooper said.
Although Mrs. Cooper was honored to receive the national award for her volunteer work, she said being able to help others was her reward. She died of liver disease and kidney failure, aged 93.The underlined word "charity" in Paragraph 1 refers to _____.
| A．offering help |
| B．donating money |
| C．providing services |
| D．showing sympathy |
The San Diego Food Bank is meant to _____.
| A．distribute food in case of emergency |
| B．help hungry children and families |
| C．give basic first-aid treatment |
| D．train some senior volunteers |
Which of the following is true of Mrs. Cooper?
| A．She died at an early age. |
| B．She refused the national award. |
| C．She was kind and devoted. |
| D．She was not easy to get along with. |
From what Monica Cooper said, we know that _____.
| A．she is in financial trouble |
| B．she was finally rewarded |
| C．she once misunderstood her mother |
| D．she thinks highly of her mother |
Mrs Cooper's story suggests that _____.
| A．everyone needs a Grandma nearby |
| B．children are what their parents are |
| C．a Sound mind is in a sound body |
| D．a mother's love never changes |
Based on Sue Monk Kidd’s best-selling novel, The Secret Life of Bees is a movie of hope and faith for even the unloved and oppressed(受压迫的). Just as in the book, young Lily’s thoughts sound and read like poetry, from the first moment when her room fills with bees.
The movie tells the story of the young white girl who runs away from her cruel father. Lily convinces Rosaleen, the black housekeeper to escape with her, after Rosaleen is beaten when she attempts to vote. When Lily asks Rosaleen why she risked her life standing up to the angry men who wanted to kill her, she hears“Giving in to them would be just another way of dying”.
That’s Lily’s story, too. She finally stands up to her father. They come to Tiburon, a town whose name is written on a label(标签)from a jar belonging to her mother before her death.
In Tiburon, there is no place where Rosaleen can eat or stay, despite the fact that President Johnson just signed the Civil Rights act in 1964. (It’s still just a piece of paper, Rosaleen says. )So Lily goes in to buy food for them, and sees the jar on sale. When Lily finds out it’s made right there in a farmhouse, they go there and ask for help.
The goodhearted August who runs a successful company, offers them the honey house to live in. From August, Lily learns honey business and a life lesson from the bees. She sees a world where intelligence, independence and culture are honored and rewarded. She watches Rosaleen begin to understand that the dream of freedom from oppression she gave up when she was beaten is now possible for her. It is August who helps Lily see that love is all around her and all the others. The story of the Lily is mainly developed by _______.
| A．time |
| B．space |
| C．examples |
| D．comparison |
Which is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The movie is adapted from a novel. |
| B．Lily’s father treats Rosaleen cruelly. |
| C．Lily’s mother writes the label for her. |
| D．In fact, Lily’s mother is August. |
What does Rosaleen really want to get?
| A．Better pay and honey business. |
| B．Equal rights and freedom. |
| C．The right to be voted as president. |
| D．Enough food and houses. |
We can conclude that the story of Lily happened _______.
| A．in modern America |
| B．in the 1960s in North America |
| C．when the black owned equal rights in America |
| D．before the independence of America |
The passage is written to _______.
| A．advertise a book |
| B．explain the secret of bees’ life |
| C．introduce a movie |
| D．tell about American politics |
Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian (保加利亚人的) festivals and customs date back to old time when man tried to live in peace with nature. The merriest and richest festivals are
Christmas and the New Year, when the so-called. "sourvakari" makes the round of house with wishes for health and wealth. Other main festivals include "ladouvane"-a holiday for young girls on New Year's Day or
Midsummer Day (24th June), Shrovetide and Mummers' Games which mark the start of spring, and "lazrouvane"-a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness. And among them, the widely popular and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are "martenitsas" and rose-picking.
Every year on March lst, the Bulgarians give each other "mar-tenitsas"-a small doll made of white and red strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness.
In late May and early June every year, the rose-picking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rose-picking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world's rose oil which is used by the very well-known perfume (香水) company as a basic element of its products.
This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June. The passage is mainly about _____.
| A．Christmas and the New Year in Bulgaria |
| B．the origin of Bulgarian festivals and customs |
| C．rose-picking and perfume industry in Bulgaria |
| D．typical customs arid festivals of Bulgaria . |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．"Martenitsas"-the Beginning of Spring |
| B．Beauty, Happiness and Love |
| C．Bulgarian Festivals and Customs |
| D．Rose-picking and "Martenitsas" |
The author of this passage intends to _____.
| A．let us know some knowledge of Bulgarian culture |
| B．tell us the differences between customs and festivals |
| C．explain the connection between customs and industry |
| D．find the origin of the Bulgarian customs |
The second and the third paragraphs of the passage _____.
| A．tell us how popular rose-picking is |
| B．link two festivals with health and richness |
| C．show us two merriest and richest festivals |
| D．talk about two typical Bulgarian festivals |
People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother's Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father's Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care to their children. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with childcare.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother's Day people wear camations（康乃馨）. A red one symbolizes（象征） a living mother. A white one shows that mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour their parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues(烤肉)for Father's Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make
them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are
valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of
the gift that is important, but it is "the thought that counts".
Greeting card stores, florists,candy makers, bakeries,
telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during
these holidays. Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respectfor their parents?
| A．Their parents bring them up. |
| B．Their parents give love and care to them. |
| C．Their parents educate them to be good persons. |
| D．Their parents passed away before they grew up. |
What do you learn from the passage?
| A．Mother's Day and Father's Day are both in May. |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents. |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
Which do you think is RIGHT about "carnation" ?
| A．It only has two kinds of colour. |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother's Dayor Father's Day. |
| C．It's a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sundayin May. |