You may think that light pollution isn’t something extraordinarily important. You may believe that every other type of pollution has a larger impact on the environment that light pollution does. But light pollution is serious.
Light pollution, or “sky glow”, is the glow you can see at night above cities and towns. Light pollution is a problem that has been accompanying man ever since he started his first fire some 15,000 years ago. Light pollution is the light that comes from streetlights, buildings, parking lots and any other source of light that is reflected or directed into the atmosphere.
Urban light pollution means that one-fifth of the world’s population can no longer see the Milky Way(银河) with the naked eye(肉眼). Many city kids, even if they did look through the orange smog above their heads, would probably see only a handful of stars. We have lost our view of the stars, and we have mucked up our night-time environment as well. Astronomers are calling for the dark places on Earth to be preserved as national parks.
Lots of people find the ever-brightening night annoying, and animals that are programmed to prefer the dark may avoid a brightened habitat. Sea turtles can get lost searching for a beach to lay eggs, and their hatchlings(孵化的幼仔)may confuse over-lit beachfront resorts(度假胜地) for the ocean horizon, wasting precious energy needed to find the sea and escape predators(食肉动物). Because their necks aren’t yet long enough to see things far away, baby turtles rely on the mirror image of the moon to guide them to the sea, to begin their new life. A car may even hit a particular turtle, which was thinking the light from a nearby city was moonlight reflecting off the ocean waves. Birds that live in and around cities can die because of sky glow, too. The bright lights can blind them, leading to countless collisions with buildings and other tall structures.
On an individual level, people can help reduce much sky glow by using lighting only when necessary. The stars above us are priceless heritage— for not only for astronomers but for all humans. More of our children should be able to look up at night and see the Milk Way.According to Para.2, light pollution_________.
| A．doesn’t include the light coming from buildings |
| B．has existed for nearly a century |
| C．refers to the light shining directly into the atmosphere |
| D．is mainly caused by the light at night |
The underlined phrase “mucked up” in Para. 3 probably means_________ .
| A．protected | B．spoiled |
| C．blamed | D．praised |
To find the sea, baby sea turtles mainly depend on_________.
| A．the moon | B．the ocean waves |
| C．the sky glow | D．the mirrors |
The author mentions the Milk Way in the last paragraph to show that_________.
| A．we should take action to reduce light pollution |
| B．light pollution isn’t something important |
| C．most kids are looking forward to seeing the Milk Way |
| D．the Milk Way can’t be seen with naked eye |
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition(版本) dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context（上下文）. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables (音节), they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionary. The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
When in the reading does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
| A．At the beginning of the reading |
| B．At the end of the reading |
| C．During the first reading |
| D．After the first reading |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
| B．When to use a dictionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practise reading fast. |
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes．Think about the kind of clothes you really need．Then look for those clothes you really need．Then look for those clothes on sale．
There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes．The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes． The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water． A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water．The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin(毁坏) this coat．If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time．
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned．Dry cleaning is expensive．When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned．You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made．Well-made clothes last longer．They look good even after they have been washed many times．Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made．They do not always fit better。Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes．If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that __ ．
| A．don’t fit you | B．don’t last long |
| C．need to be dry cleaned | D．can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you______．
| A．how to keep them looking their best | B．how to save money |
| C．whether they fit you or not | D．where to get them dry cleaned |
The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is __ ．
| A．to look for well-made clothes |
| B．to see how much money you can spend on it |
| C．to know how to wash them |
| D．to read the labels inside them |
The best title for the passage should be __ ．
| A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes |
| B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
| C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper |
| D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise.
Nobody forgot Merlin’s wonderful entrance after that. The story tells us that people began to enjoy roller-skating _______. .
| A．before the year 1750 | B．before the invitation |
| C．because of Joseph Merlin | D．because it was dangerous |
People called Merlin a dreamer because ___________. .
| A．he slept and dreamed a lot |
| B．he was full of different ideas |
| C．he invented the first roller skates |
| D．he always made people’s dreams come true |
What was Merlin’s problem after he rolled into the room?
| A．He couldn’t stop his roller-skating. |
| B．He couldn’t attract a lot of attention. |
| C．Everyone was surprised at him. |
| D．He couldn’t play the violin while rolling. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Joseph Merlin’s Story | B．How Roller Skating Was Invented |
| C．A Surprising Entrance to the Party | D．Roller Skating |
What do you see from a handful of seeds? Some see green plants, some see blooming flowers, or just seeds. But one group of Shanghai students saw an opportunity to make money.
Eight students from No 2 Secondary School Attached to East China Normal University started a virtual（虚拟的）company selling different seeds and seed products. They successfully sold 28 pictures pasted with different seeds at a campus auction（拍卖）a week ago. The company, which has recruited around 20 student staff members, has earned over 2000 yuan in the past three months.
“We donated part of the money to a poor school in the countryside of Anhui Province. It's great to realize our ideal of ‘spreading love and culture with seeds’ after many tests and lots of hard work，” said Senior 2 Shi Chen, CEO of the company.
Just like any other company, Shi's didn't develop smoothly. Shi and her young colleagues（同事）used to sell fresh flowers and old books, and later found seeds might be something that their company could engage in. They bought seeds of various plants and flowers at low prices from a local farm and sold them in schools or on streets. The creative students also made accessories and pictures with different seeds.
With little business knowledge, the students had to learn new skills as the leaders of different departments, such as public relations （PR）, sales and marketing. They persuaded a joint Sino-French company near their school to give them training in business management.
“They helped us overcome our shyness. We also learned quite a lot of business theory. I found communication skills and teamwork are very important for my job” said Senior 1 Qian Yifei.
The 16-year-old was elected as PR manager thanks to her talent for speaking. She is also in charge of after sales service, dealing with complaints and providing suggestions.
As the head of the company, CEO Shi has a lot more to think about. First of all, she has to learn how to make her colleagues work efficiently（高效地） as the company only opens at weekends due to all their studies.
“It makes the company more formal，” she said.The purpose of opening the company is to.
| A．earn money for their education fees. |
| B．spread love and culture with seeds. |
| C．see whether they can open a company. |
| D．collect money to open a Hope School. |
According to Qian Yifei, what matters most in dealing with public relations?
| A．Communication skills and teamwork 。 |
| B．Creative and critical thinking. |
| C．Educational back ground. |
| D．Business theories. |
What does the word "it" (in the last paragraph) refer to?
| A．Selling seeds. |
| B．CEO. |
| C．Every colleague's knowledge. |
| D．To make her colleagues work efficiently. |
We can learn from the passage that____.
| A．the company is owned by 20 students. |
| B．the company is over-night successful. |
| C．the company sells fresh flowers and old books |
| D．the company gets much help from other company selling seeds. |
Fifteen years ago, I entered the Boston Globe, which was a temple to me then. It wasn’t easy getting hired. But once you were there, I found, you were in.
Globe jobs were for life-guaranteed（终身聘用）until retirement. For 15 years I had prospered there—moving from an ordinary reporter to senior editor. I would have a lifetime of security if I stuck with it. Instead, I had made a decision to leave. I entered my boss’s office. Would he be angry? I wondered. He had a famous temper. “Matt, we have to have a talk,” I began. “I came to the Globe when I was twenty-four. Now I’ m forty. There’ s a lot I want to do in life. I’m resigning. （辞职）” “To another paper?” he asked. I reached into my coat pocket, but didn’t say anything. I handed him a letter that explained everything. It said that I was leaving to start a new media company. We were at a rare turning point in history. I wanted to be directly engaged in the change. "I’ m glad for you," he said, quite out of my expectation. "I just came from a board of directors meeting and it was seventy-five percent discouraging news. Some of that we can deal with. But much of it we can’ t," he went on. "I wish you all the luck in the world," he concluded. "And if it doesn’t work out, remember, there is always a place here for you."
Then I went out of his office, walking through the newsroom for more good-byes. Everybody was saying congratulations. Everybody--even though I’d be risking all the financial security I had carefully built up.
Later, I had a final talk with Bill Taylor, chairman and publisher of the Boston Globe. He had turned the Globe into a billion-dollar property. "I’ m resigning, Bill," I said. He listened while I gave him the story. He wasn’t looking angry either. After a pause, he said, "Golly, I wish I were in your shoes. " From the passage we know that the Globe is a famous 。
| A．newspaper | B．magazine | C．temple | D．person |
If the writer stayed with the Globe 。
| A．he would be able to realize his lifetime dreams. |
| B．he would set up a new media company |
| C．he would never be allowed to develop his ambitions |
| D．he would never have to worry about his future life |
The writer wanted to resign because.
| A．he had serous trouble with his boss. |
| B．he wanted to be engaged in the new media industry. |
| C．he got underpaid at his job for the Globe. |
| D．he had found a better paid job in a publishing house. |
When the writer decided to resign, the Globe was faced with .
| A．a trouble with its staff members |
| B．a shortage of qualified reporters |
| C．an unfavorable business situation |
| D．a good business situation |
What did Bill Taylor mean by saying “I wish I were in your shoes.”?
| A．The writer was to fail. |
| B．He would do the same if possible. |
| C．The writer was stupid |
| D．He would refuse the writer’s request |