Australians have evidently realized the fact that water means life and we need to he more thoughtful in our use of this rather precious resource．Since the year 2000, Australians have managed to reduce their use of water by 14% ． In the most populous city, Sydney, they've managed to use less water in 2007 than in 1974, even though the city grew by l． 2 million souls in this period．
Across the country nearly 20% of all households have water tanks．That would probably be due, in large part, to the various state governments offering generous rebates． In NSW, for example, where 24,000 households have taken up the offer, you can get $1,500 AUD back if you fix a 7,000 + litre tank and have it attached into your toilet and washing machine．
Creywater use has taken off too． The Australian Bureau of Statistics suggest that it's now the second most common source of water in Australia, with over half of the country's homes reusing water from their washing machines, showers and baths． The state of Victoria leads with 70% using greywater, and Queensland, coming close behind with 63%．
Up in the northern state of．Queensland, some of their dams have been below 20%． Sydney's main dam is only at 56% of its potential capacity．
The country's ongoing drought（干旱） has seen more than 95% of the length of the Murray- Darling Basin （ the two major river systems that supply the nation's 'food basket' ） regarded as ' degraded', Supply of water has become such an issue that hydro-electric power（水力发电） output has dropped 7% in a recent 9 year period for the states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania．Not good for promoting our uptake understanding of renewable energy in these climate changing times．But at least the message is getting through about making every drop count．The underlined word "rebate" in paragraph 2 probably means ．
| A．discount or allowance | B．water tanks for free |
| C．agreements or payment | D．washing machine of high quality |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The state of Victoria is playing a leading role in greywater use． |
| B．More water has been used in Australia with the growing population． |
| C．The state of Queensland gets its water mostly from the north of its state． |
| D．Some of the dams in Queensland are too weak to hold potential water． |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ．
| A．the country's water shortage is partly due to continuous drought |
| B．large quantities of water are being used to produce electricity |
| C．the author hopes water resource could be used to the fullest |
| D．the author disagrees with the use of renewable energy |
The passage is likely to appear in ．
| A．a scientist's diary | B．a history paper |
| C．a travel guidebook | D．a newspaper |
“Well, we’re in our new house. Let’s get a new pet to go along with it,” Mrs. Brown said to her husband.
“That sounds like a very good idea,” he answered. “Do you want to see the ads in the newspaper?”
“Let’s go to the animal shelter. Many pets there need homes. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we can both go.” she said.
The next morning the Browns met Mr. Snow at the animal shelter. “We want to be sure that the pets here go to good homes,” Mr. Snow said, “So I need to ask you some questions.”
After they talked for a while, the Browns decided to get a small dog. It wouldn’t need a big house or a big yard. A small dog would bark and warn them if someone tried to break into their house. After Mr. Snow gave the Browns a book on pet care, they chose one and wanted to take her home right away. But the animal doctor hadn’t examined her yet. So Mr. Snow told them to return on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon the Browns went to the animal shelter. The animal doctor said, “Shadow has had all of her shots（预防针）. She will be healthy.” The Browns thanked the doctor and took Shadow home.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The Browns have never had a pet before |
| B．The Browns knew about Shadow from the newspaper |
| C．Shadow is a small and healthy dog |
| D．Mr. Brown didn’t quite agree with his wife |
The word “shelter” in the reading means _________.
| A．a place to sell small dogs |
| B．a place to keep homeless animals |
| C．a place to study animals |
| D．a place to sell books on pet care |
Mr. Snow asked the Browns some questions to _________.
| A．see if they had moved to a new house |
| B．find out how rich the Browns were |
| C．know where they’d keep their new pet |
| D．make sure they’d take good care of pets |
The Browns think that a small dog _________.
| A．doesn’t need any room to keep |
| B．can help them watch their house |
| C．eats less food than a bigger one |
| D．usually has a beautiful name |
I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos (标志) in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one—it’s so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites.
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $ 35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steven Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “ rainbow apple”, a rainbow- colored silhouette (轮廓) of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow- colored apple was replaced by the one- colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three- pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Marcedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie. and DMG in 1926.What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
| A．They are boring | B．They are out of date. |
| C．They are attractive | D．They are practical |
What does Nike’s logo stand for?
| A．The goddess of victory |
| B．The source of inspiration for soldiers |
| C．The statue of the Greek goddess |
| D．The wing of the Greek goddess |
We can learn that Apple’s present logo is______.
| A．the religious story of Adam and Eve |
| B．a bitten apple with only one color |
| C．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree |
| D．the rainbow- colored bitten apple |
Which of the following time orders describes the births of the great logos?
| A．Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Nike – Apple. |
| B．Nike – McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz. |
| C．Mercedes Benz – Apple – Nike –McDonald’s. |
| D．Nike –Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Apple, |
Ben Olsen had great careers as professional players. His story tells a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America.
Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United's early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in 1998. His young professional career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship（锦标赛）, on the strength of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable. "I'd lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game." said Ben Olsen.
Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play. "Some teams are very fast and athletic. Some teams are a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league."
Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of 2006. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget.
Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in 2007. He scored seven goals including a "hat trick"-- three in one game.
Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull in June of 2007
He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor operation became major ankle surgery（外科手术）. Ben Olsen retired after the 2009 season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United. When did Ben Olsen begin to win championship?
| A．In 1998 | B．In 2007 |
| C．In 1999 | D．In 2006 |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Ben Olsen has a deep love for his country. |
| B．Ben Olsen scored three goals in 1999. |
| C．Top American soccer players never played oversea. |
| D．He scored ten goals in 2007. |
What do you think is the best title for the passage?
A. Ben Olsen—the best soccer player
B. Ben Olsen’s love for his career
C. Ben Olsen and D.C. United
D. Ben Olsen’s professional career story
EP Portable Heater
We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP portable heater. With over one million satisfied customers around the world, the new EP heats better and faster, saves more on heating bills, and runs almost silent.
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire. The outside of the EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room. With other heaters, you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly, wall to wall and floor to ceiling. It comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet. Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room. And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EP, the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3-year warranty(保修) and a 60-day, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee. If you are not totally satisfied, return it to our expense and your money will be given back to you.
Now we have a special offer for 10 days, during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery. If you order after that, we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price.
Take action right now!What is mainly discussed in paragraph 2?
| A．The heat of the EP | B．The safety of the EP |
| C．The appearance of the EP | D．The material of the EP |
From the passage, we can learn that the EP ______.
| A．doesn’t burn up oxygen | B．runs without any noise |
| C．makes people get sleepy | D．is unsuitable for children and pets |
The underlined word “evenly” in paragraph 4 probably means ______.
| A．continuously | B．separately | C．quickly | D．equally |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
| A．persuade people to buy the product |
| B．advise people to save on heating bills |
| C．report the new development of portable heaters |
| D．compare the difference of different heart brands |
The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.
“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name ? ”
“Are you sure you want to hear it ? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.
“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”
“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began his tale.
“Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in . In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.
“‘You are clearing too much land, ’ warned one old man. ‘ The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it. ’
“ ‘ Silly fool,’ said Dennis to himself. ‘If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’s just jealous!’
“Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.
“What happened ? ” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.
“The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned, ” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”
“What a stupid story, ” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t …” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted (晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.
| A．courage | B．assistance | C．instruction | D．challenge |
Why did Jack tell Tom and Martin the story ?
| A．To frighten them. | B．To satisfy their curiosity. |
| C．To warn them of the danger of the place. | D．To persuade them to camp in the swamp. |
Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man ?
| A．The old man envied him. | B．The old man was foolish |
| C．He was too busy to listen to others. | D．He was greedy for more crops. |
Why did Tom scream and faint ?
| A．He saw Dennis’s shadow | B．He was scared by a plant |
| C．His friends played a joke on him. | D．The weather became extremely cold. |
What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis ?
| A．Grasp all, lose all. | B．No sweat, no sweet. |
| C．It is no use crying over spilt milk. | D．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing. |