As we know, the earth's climate has changed over time.The present rate of climate change depends, in large part, on human activities.Today, people all over the world are making everyday choices that help the environment.Small actions matter.In other words, climate change is your business.
A woman in Nicaragua buys fluorescent (荧光的) light bulbs that are 80 percent more energysaving than traditional ones. Many governments are now subsidizing energysaving lights to encourage people to turn to them.Consumers are discovering that the newgeneration bulbs help them save money in the long run.
Agriculture accounts for about 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (排放) , and transporting the food around adds to the environmental cost.There is a team of young vegetable growers in the United Kingdom who want to encourage kids to start planting their own fruit and vegetables.
A young lawyer wearing business clothes rides her bicycle to work in a large U．S.city.She's been biking to work every day for the past two years and says it's a lot easier than many people think.A recent study shows that more Americans bike or walk to work today than before.
A university student from southeastern China carries a reusable shopping bag to cut back on disposable (一次性的) plastics.Some large shopkeepers have removed paper and plastic bags, and consumers are responding.
In Canberra, Australia, summers are hot and winters cold.To save electricity, Adam Wilson in Canberra uses an energysaving heating system, and he keeps the temperature lower than he did in years past.He still makes it through the summer without air conditioning.The passage mainly tells us that________.
| A．climate change is concerned with everyone |
| B．the global warming is getting worse |
| C．saving energy is of great necessity |
| D．human is to destroy the environment |
The underlined word “subsidizing” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”．
| A．charging | B．producing |
| C．giving allowance to | D．taking advantage of |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The governments don't expect consumers to use the newgeneration bulbs. |
| B．Agriculture should be responsible for part of the global gas emissions. |
| C．Many people in Nicaragua go to work on foot or by bike. |
| D．University students from China always carry disposable shopping bags. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that________.
| A．the climate in Canberra is mild all the year round |
| B．an energysaving heating system will come into use |
| C．Adam Wilson has a good habit of saving energy |
| D．Adam Wilson is skilled in inventing the energysaving equipment |
One of the most difficulties in learning a language is learning the idiomatic phrases, slang and common usage of native speakers. These four books focus on giving students a hand when learning North American idiomatic language.
Ya Gotta Know It by Hania Hassan
It provides an excellent mixture of materials for classroom lessons and American slang reference. Its unique feature is that students are provided with ongoing (持续不断的) context reminding learners of idioms learned while improving their understanding by using the same characters and a developing story line. Exercises provide a chance for students to practice in proper situations.
Price: $11.66
ISBN: 9780074560167
Common American Phrases by Richard A. Spears
It has a wide variety of resources on American English. It contains more than 2,000 phrases and idioms. Excellent for classroom use as this reference guide focuses on standard phrases that can be found in everyday standard usage.
Price: $ 7.06
ISBN: 978007405607
American Idioms and Some Phrases Just for Fun by Edward Swick
The book’s strength is its translation of more formal English of a number of idioms. These phrases are then repeated in a number of different contexts giving students a good idea of common usage. There are also a number of exercises designed to help students put their newfound idiomatic understanding into use.
Price: $ 5.49
ISBN: 9780764108075
American Slang by Robert L. Chapman
It provides a guide for advanced level English students. This references guide to slang is best used by those interested in the very latest and up-to-date slang and slang you might hear in the laterst films from Hollywood.
Price: $ 1.99
ISBN: 9780062731722The purpose of writing the passage is _______.
| A．teach students how to learn idioms |
| B．introduce books to readers |
| C．increase students’ knowledge about idioms |
| D．offer learning materials to readers for free |
In what way is Ya Gotta Know It different from other books?
| A．It contains a lot of exercises. |
| B．It has the largest number of idioms. |
| C．It is mainly about American slang. |
| D．It offers readers ongoing context. |
If you want to learn the slang from the latest Hollywood films, you can choose _______.
| A．American Slang |
| B．Ya Gotta Know It |
| C．American Idioms and Some Phrases Just for Fun |
| D．Common American Phrases |
Early this morning, I got up to make cookies for my neighbor. But actually she hardly greeted me when we saw each other.
Last Monday, she called the firefighters when my house began to fog up while I was out. Luckily, nothing serious had happened. When I thanked her and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right and stepped into her house. I felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don’t get along, she’d done the right thing. So, the yummy cookies.
Last winter, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge towards me because of an incident we’d had four years ago. I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology.
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question. Her refusal to make amends (补偿) really saddened me. After that, I decided I’d just leave her be. So I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again. I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that’s just the way I felt.
Then, I reminded myself of how good I had felt yesterday when I’d done some acts of kindness after telling myself: Feel the fear, and do it anyway! So I put the cookies on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment door—and there she was, standing in the hallway. But when she saw me, she went back inside. I went after her and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I’ve got something for you! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday.” When she heard me speaking, she turned around. As I held the plate towards her, her eyebrows winged up and she took the plate. I was so happy and excited.
Back in my place, I did a “happy dance”, because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn’t been sure my kindness would be welcome. I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better. I know I was and still am biased (存有偏见) towards her at times, but even if we don’t make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people’s behaviors and reactions.The neighbor hardly greeted the writer most probably because ______.
| A．the writer’s cats disturb her neighbor frequently |
| B．the writer didn’t thank her for calling the firefighters |
| C．the writer never apologized to her for her misbehaviors |
| D．the writer had an unpleasant experience with the neighbor long ago |
The underlined word “grudge” in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______.
| A．appreciation | B．gratitude | C．dislike | D．envy |
From Paragraph 4, we can learn that the writer ______.
| A．was afraid of being rejected again by her neighbor |
| B．didn’t know how to get along with her neighbor |
| C．didn’t admit it was her fault in the last incident |
| D．refused to forgive her neighbor’s rude behavior |
What does the author try to tell us?
| A．Don’t punish yourself because of others’ mistakes. |
| B．We should be kind to others, regardless of their behavior. |
| C．We must keep a good relationship with our neighbors. |
| D．When we make a mistake, we should have the courage to admit it. |
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium（千年）, was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural（乡村的）class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves（侏儒）. On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft（草稿）. The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.What can we learn from the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium. |
| B．People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works. |
| C．Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English. |
| D．Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa. |
What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
| A．Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas. |
| B．Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong. |
| C．Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles. |
| D．Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves. |
Which of the following helped most in making “The Hobbit” published?
| A．One of Tolkien’s students. | B．Stanley Unwin’s son. |
| C．Allen & Unwin. | D．Bilbo Baggins. |
What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” and its writer. |
| B．A completely new masterwork in the new millennium. |
| C．A famous professor at Oxford University. |
| D．The power of the magic ring. |
Which of the following shows the right order of Mr. J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.
b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠ
d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. His work “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world.
f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
| A．f-d-b-c-a-e | B．f-c-d-b-e-a | C．f-d-c-b-a-e | D．d-f-c-a-b-e |
Let us begin by saying what does not cause our dreams. Our dreams do not come from “another world ”. They are not messages from outside source. They are not a look into the future , either ．
All our dreams have something to do with our feelings, fears, longings, wishes, needs and memories. If a person is hungry , or tired or cold , his dreams may include a feeling of this kind ．If the covers on your body , such as a quilt or a blanket have slipped off your bed , you may dream that you are sleeping on the ice and snow. The material for the dream you will have tonight is likely to come from the experience you have today.
So the subject of your dream usually comes from something that has effect on you while you are sleeping （feeling of cold, a noise, a discomfort, etc．） and it may also use your past experiences and the wishes and the interests you have now．This is why children are likely to dream of fairies, older children of school examinations, hungry people of food, home-sick soldiers of their families and prisoners of freedom．
To show you how this is happening while you are asleep and how your needs and wishes can all be joined together in a dream , here is the story of the experiment．A man was asleep and the back of his hand was rubbed with a piece of absorbed cotton．He would dream he was in hospital and his charming girlfriend was visiting him , sitting on the bed and feeling gently his hands!
There are some scientists who have made a special study of why we dream, what we dream and what those dreams mean．Their explanations of dreams , though a bit reasonable, is not accepted by everyone but it offers an interesting approach to the problem．They believe that dreams are mostly expressions of wishes that do not come true．In other words, dreams are a way of having your wishes carried out． From the passage we know that our dreams ___________.
| A．are imagination of our daily life |
| B．are man’s curious look into the future |
| C．have nothing to do with our feelings |
| D．are to some degree connected with our feelings |
Older children often dream of examinations probably because ___________.
| A．they are interested in exams |
| B．they are often worried about their studies |
| C．they hope for a better life |
| D．they show much interest in their studies |
According to the writer , the explanation of dreams that some scientists made ___________.
| A．is considered interesting , but unreasonable |
| B．gives a good answer to the question why we dream |
| C．has some value , though not fully convincing |
| D．has been proved by the findings of their studies |
What is the best title for this passage ?
| A．Why People Dream ? | B．New Findings about Dreams |
| C．Dream Makes Hopes | D．What Dreams Mean ? |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper，radio and television ads，promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs，slim the face，smooth wrinkles，or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than moneymaking things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable，and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public，it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug，FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food，Drug，and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device，FDA has no authority to require the proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health，FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily，or it can take legal action，including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor，which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously，most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying，it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are________.
| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．The court is in charge of removing dangerous products.
B．New products are more likely to be questionable.
C．The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D．The promoters usually just care about profits.FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product________.
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA's authority |
The Relaxacisor is mentioned as________.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |