The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single-engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn't know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times. her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.
Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.
In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she retumed to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.
What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes.
In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?
| A．She was caught in a storm. | B．The altimeter went out of order. |
| C．Her engine went wrong. | D．She lost her direction. |
When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine. what did she do?
| A．She did nothing but pr ay for herself |
| B．She changed her direction and landed in Ireland. |
| C．She continued flying. |
| D．She lost hope of reaching land. |
According to the passage, what was Amelia Earhart's reason for making her flights?
| A．To set a new record for flying time. |
| B．To be the first woman to fly around the world. |
| C．To show that aviation was not just for men. |
| D．To become famous in the world. |
Which of the following statements was NOT mentioned?
A. She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Oceanalone.
B. She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight.
C She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States.
D. She made plans to fly around the world.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Amelia Earhart-First Across the Atlantic. |
| B．Amelia Earhart-Pioneer in Women's Aviation. |
| C．A New Record for Flying Time. |
| D．A Dangerous Flight from North America to England. |
The Sieferts are the kind of environmentally conscious family who has solar panels atop their home. They use timers on their kids' showers and have planted drought-tolerant landscaping. But they feel kind of guilt. “I haven’t thought about the pool as much as I probably should,” said Annette Siefert.
As California's drought worsens, swimming pools have become a target for those who think the classic backyard greens waste water. Some water districts have banned new pools from being filled and have limited how much water existing pools can use.
But some of those agencies are walking back the rules as they make a surprising discovery: Pools aren't the water wasters some have made them out to be. Analyses by various water districts, along with scientific studies, conclude that pools and their surrounding landscapes use about the same amount of water as a lawn(草坪) of the same size. Over time, pools might even use less water. With pool covers, experts say water evaporation(蒸发)can be cut by almost half, making pools significantly less wasteful than grass and about as efficient as drought-tolerant landscaping.
Facing complaints over a recent ban on filling pools, the Santa Margarita Water District conducted its own water-use analysis. It found that pools require thousands of gallons of water to fill initially, but they use about 8,000 gallons less water than a traditional landscape after that. By the third year, the analysis found, the savings add up, and a pool's cumulative water use falls below that of a lawn.
Water agencies such as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have come to similar conclusions. Armed with new information, Santa Margarita Water District officials will reconsider their ban next week.
“We want to respect the people's rights to use their property. There are many families we know that have saved for pools,” said Jonathan Volzke, spokesman for the 155,000-customer district. “But at the same time, the reality around us is that we're in the third year of a serious drought, and we don't know if we're in the third year of a three-year drought or the third year of a 10-year drought.”Annette Siefert feels guilty mainly because of ______.
| A．being a typical water waster |
| B．the water-use of their swimming pool |
| C．her control over her kids' showers at home |
| D．the construction of the drought-tolerant landscaping |
According to analyses and scientific studies, a swimming pool ______.
| A．had belter be filled up in the beginning |
| B．becomes more efficient against drought |
| C．isn't what people think to be wasteful of water |
| D．consumes more water than a lawn of the same size |
What does Jonathan Volzke try to express in the last paragraph?
| A．He expects the serious drought to come to an end. |
| B．He thinks highly of those who have saved for pools. |
| C．He appeals for reasonable use of the swimming pools. |
| D．He tries to maintain the right to use the swimming pools. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Water Crisis In California |
| B．Strict Ban On Filling Pools |
| C．The Sieferts—Real Environmentalists? |
| D．Pools—A Big Factor During Drought? |
While growing up in Jersey in the 1960s, I always seemed to be building things. One summer I build a model car with my father. It was a simple affair, and as a capable 12-year-old, I could have easily done it alone. But my father spent the time together with me, and before I knew it, we were both out in the garage, working away.
I wish I had thought about this when I was raising my first son. We never built anything together. Oh, we had a lot of fun, for sure. But we never undertook a common work of our hands.
A few years ago, when Anton, my second son, asked if we could build a treehouse in the big silver maple behind our house, his suggestion immediately reminded me of the memory. Yes, I thought. Of course. My second chance. And so, one day while Anton was in school and I had some free time, I bought some wood. But one thing led to another and we got only as far as the ladder and a simple platform. His vision for the treehouse was not fulfilled that summer, and the three following summers saw me involved with other things. In the middle of our quiet supper last night, I looked at Anton, a high school student now and asked, “Anton, are you still interested in finishing the treehouse?” “Sure, Dad,” he said, and within that “sure” was contained, perhaps, his own self-awareness of a childhood to which he was still attached.
We continued where we had left off. I was surprised at how good a worker Anton had become. Where four years ago all he could really do with confidence was hammer nails, now he was measuring and cutting. In one moment that took my breath away, he attempted to center a support beam(支撑梁)while looking to me for direction. “Is it centered, Dad?” I waved him a little to the right. Then a little more. Then I said. “Perfect.”
And it was perfect. As was this second chance, I finally realized that my father hadn't had to help me build that model car in 1966. He wanted to. And that made all the difference.Not having built anything together with his first son, the author felt _____.
| A．disappointed | B．satisfied |
| C．regretful | D．relieved |
Why didn't they finish building the treehouse at first?
| A．It was too hot those summers. |
| B．Anton wasn't confident enough. |
| C．They gradually lost interest in it. |
| D．They were both occupied with other things. |
From the fourth paragraph, we can see that the father _____.
| A．was proud of his son |
| B．missed the last chance |
| C．felt content with the treehouse |
| D．hoped to finish the work perfectly |
It can be inferred that the author realized _____.
| A．the quiet passing of childhood |
| B．the difficulty in raising children |
| C．the children's dependence on their father |
| D．the significance of undertaking a common work with children |
It was the end of my junior year, the weekend before prom (毕业舞会). I was riding with some friends, and a bottle was passed around the car. Everyone was taking swigs(一大口). When the bottle got to me, I thought:“What should I do?”I took a swig. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I had to drive home later that night.
I went back to my car, got in and drove off. At a stop sign I saw a policeman sitting in the parking lot across the street. His headlights were turned on, and I knew he was going to follow me. Then he flashed his lights at me. All I could think was: “Oh no, that swig!”
I pulled over and waited for him to come to my door. It felt like forever. “Can I see your license and registration, please, Miss?” I gave them to him. He took them and went back to his car for a while. When he returned, he asked if I had been drinking.
“No,” I said. He asked me to step out of my car.
“Walk heel to toe down the white line, please.” I passed the test. Next he had me stand on my left foot, lift my right foot and hold it for 30 seconds. I’m not the most coordinated (动作协调的) person and I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time, so, needless to say, I didn’t pass. Then he asked me to take a breathalyzer test.
That was where I messed up. I told him I didn’t want to and didn’t understand why I had to. The officer asked me three more times, and I continued to refuse. He told me to turn around and place my hands behind my back. He arrested me right then and there.
The policeman drove me to a police station 20 minutes from my home. He called my parents and told them where I was.
I went to court two months after that, charged with refusing to obey an officer. I got a $700 (4,340 yuan) fine and 40 hours of community service. I’ll be on probation (缓刑) for a year, and I’ll have to take the driving test again. I lost my license for a whole year.
This was a huge learning experience for me. It opened my eyes to how easy it is to make a stupid decision. I want everyone reading this to know that it’s not right to drink and drive. It definitely isn’t worth losing your license over.From the first paragraph, we can conclude that the author __________.
| A．didn’t remember she had to drive home later when riding with her friends |
| B．wished she had refused to drink that night |
| C．felt just one mouthful would not affect her driving |
| D．lost her driving license on the way |
What did the policeman ask the author to do at the stop sign?
a. Show her driving license.
b. Walk in a straight line.
c. Stand on her head.
d. Stand on one foot for 30 seconds.
e. Take her temperature.
| A．a, b, d | B．a, c, d |
| C．b, c, e | D．b, d, e |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
| A．The author was in jail for 40 hours and had to do community service. |
| B．The author thought her punishment shouldn’t be so serious. |
| C．The author was really sorry that she had made a serious mistake. |
| D．The author believed she would have avoided punishment if she had obeyed the policeman. |
What is the main purpose of the article?
| A．To warn people against driving after drinking. |
| B．To explain how policemen test drivers. |
| C．To show that severe punishment works. |
| D．To blame the author’s thoughtless friends. |
Thousands of taxi drivers in Shenyang, Liaoning province, reportedly blocked streets with their vehicles on Sunday in protest against unlicensed vehicles using taxi-hiring apps(打车软件) and apps-based car rental companies providing passenger services, including high-end cars. Although the drivers also complained about the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy by the government, their main complaint was the loss of business because of the rising number of Internet-based car services companies.
On Wednesday, news reports came that Beijing transport authorities will take measures to stop the illegal “taxi business” of private cars through the newly rising Internet apps, following the footsteps of Shenyang and Nanjing.
It is not yet clear how the Shenyang city government will handle the issue and whether it will declare the services offered by market leaders such as Didi Dache, a taxi-hiring app provider backed by Tencent Holdings, and Kuaidi Dache illegal. But Shanghai transport regulators have set a rule, by banning Didi Zhuanche, or car services offered by Didi Dache in December.
Such regulations will cause a setback to the car-hiring companies and investors that are waiting to cash in on the potentially booming business. Just last month, Didi Dache got $700 million in funding from global investors, including Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings, Russian investment company DST Global and Tencent. Besides, the market is uncertain that Kuaidi Dache is about to finalize its latest round of funding after getting $800 million from global investors.
Regulatory uncertainties, however, could cast a shadow on the future of the Internet-based car-hiring services, which have become popular in most of China’s big cities. To be fair, these companies’ business model is anything but bad. For example, Didi Zhuanche works side by side with established car rental companies to provide high-end car service mainly for businesspeople through the Internet and mobile phone apps.
Every link in this business model chain has legal companies and services. Hence, it is hard to define it as illegal and ban it.Why did taxi drivers in Shenyang block the streets with their vehicles?
| A．Because they wanted the government to increase their driving allowances. |
| B．Because they wanted to be educated how to use the taxi-hiring apps. |
| C．Because they wanted to make their main complaints known to the government. |
| D．Because they wanted to call on passengers not to hire the private cars. |
The author’s attitude to banning internet car-hiring service is______.
| A．positive | B．negative |
| C．neutral | D．unclear |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The problem mentioned in the passage exists in all cities |
| B．App-based car rental is helpful in some sense |
| C．The government should regulate the app-based car rental market |
| D．Didi Dache is a China-foreign joint company |
From the passage we learn ___________.
| A．Shenyang banned apps-based car rental companies |
| B．Shanghai is the second city banning Didi Zhuanche |
| C．some international investment companies have faith in the future of apps-based car rental companies |
| D．it is easy to describe the apps-based car rental companies illegal |
Comfort is comforting, but it might narrow our experience at work — and beyond.
In our modern world, discomfort is considered a terrible thing. If not terrible, at least a thing of the past. Dishwashers, washing machines, computers, remote controls—yes, they add convenience, but also a level of comfort our forefathers did not enjoy.
As pain of any kind discourages happiness, we tend to reason, anything that compromises our ability to feel good must be bad. And that’s also particularly true for our careers. Success makes us feel great, not terrible. Such a view, however, is a matter of personal opinion. And it may blind us to hidden opportunities.
Artists throughout history have tried to experience suffering, instinctively if not consciously, to produce works that explore the darker hidden sides of the human condition. This was done, in part, because pain is a reality of life for everybody in some form at some time. Pain is something everybody can relate to. And pain makes a person very present. For such artists, to relieve or to deny pain would be to block the creative thinking, which drives them to explore and express. In fact, Germans have a term for this melancholia, “Weltschmerz”, which means “suffering from the world.” Writers, from Lord Byron to Kurt Vonnegut, have used the term to describe the psychological pain encountered along life’s roller-coaster journey. It was not to be avoided; it was to be understood, investigated and employed.
So I propose that discomfort is good for us. Or, put another way, it tells us that something needs to be addressed. It stretches us by forcing us to view our circumstances through a wholly different lens. Because we’re drawn to safety and security, we do our best to create pleasant comfort zones for ourselves and our loved ones through the cars we drive, the homes we live in, and the places we work. But by resisting discomfort, we deny ourselves an important opportunity: the chance to shake ourselves out of our predictable perspectives and allow ourselves to make knowledgeable observations we could not possibly have made before. Discomfort gives us fresh eyes.Which of the following is NOT a reason why artists throughout history have been exploring sufferings?
| A．Pain is a mirror that can reflect the life of everybody. |
| B．Pain is something that no one can escape from. |
| C．Pain can help them to avoid the creative thinking. |
| D．Pain can strengthen the feeling of existence of a person. |
The term “Weltschmerz” couldn’t be used to describe something like __________.
| A．social inequality | B．mass killings |
| C．racial discrimination | D．great achievements |
The author believes that by challenging discomfort, one may _________.
| A．lose an important chance to make a big fortune |
| B．feel upset and fail to think calmly |
| C．judge and think about the world in a new particular way |
| D．control the situation properly when things go unsteady |
By writing this passage, the author tries to __________.
| A．criticize a world full of comfort |
| B．explain why discomfort is good for us |
| C．persuade people to lead a life full of discomfort |
| D．blame those who enjoy an easy life |