In 2004, three young men went to a dinner party in San Francisco. Afterward(过后),they wanted to share(分享) a video from the party with their friends. They wanted to send it over the Internet. But at the time, the process(过程) of sharing videos that way was difficult. Using e-mail did not work and the friends complained that there, was no website to help them. So they created their own. They called their website YouTube. It made sharing videos easy, so the website soon became very popular. People watched 2.500 million videos in the first six months!
Today, more than 70,000 new videos go up on YouTube each day. People watch more than 1,000 million videos a day. Many last no more than 10 minutes. These videos show all kinds of things, from sleeping cats to earthquakes. Most of the filmmakers are not professionals. They are just everyday people making videos, and they use the website in many interesting ways.
First many people use YouTube to entertain others. One example is Judson Laipply. He made a funny dance video and put it on YouTube in 2006. People watched the video more than 10 million times in the first two weeks. Now people stop Judson on the street to ask, "Are you the dance guy on Youtube?" Some people have invited him to dance at their parties. A few women even asked to marry him. Judson wants to make more dance videos, and people look forward to seeing them.
Other people use YouTube to advertise a business. David Taub does this. He is a guitar teacher and he sells videos of guitar lessons on his own website. He wanted to increase his business, so he put short videos with free lessons on YouTube. People enjoyed watching the lessons on YouTube, and afterward, many decided to go to David’s own website. Now David sells hundreds of guitar lesson videos each week.
People also use YouTube to help others. Ryan Fitzgerald is one example. Ryan is friendly young man who knows that some people are lonely and have no one to talk to. One day, he made a video of himself for YouTube. In the video, he gave his phone number and invited people to call him. In less than a week, he had more than 5,000 calls and messages from all over the world. These days, he is very busy talking on the phone. He helps people when he can, but mostly, he just listens, like a friend.
Finally, some filmmakers use YouTube in a more serious way. They want to inform people about important events happening in the world. For example, they show clips(片段)of videos from countries at war, or they show people in need of help after a storm. Sometimes TV news shows do not give enough information about these events. Thanks to YouTube filmmakers, people can go to their computers and learn more.
For many people, YouTube is more than just another website to visit. It is a way to communicate with others. More and more people are using it every day, and they will probably find even more ways to use it.From the first paragraph of the passage, we know three young men _______.
A.shared a video right at a dinner party |
B.sent a video by using the e-mail |
C.set up a new website YouTube |
D.became very popular in a few months |
Which of the following is NOT true about YouTube?
A.YouTube makes sharing videos easy. |
B.Over 70,000 filmmakers are not professionals. |
C.Many videos on YouTube are short. |
D.Most of the filmmakers are just everyday people. |
Judson Laipply became popular _______.
A.only because he was a good dancer |
B.after he put his funny dance video on YouTube |
C.because he wanted to make more dance videos for the website |
D.because people watched all kinds of videos 10 million times a week |
YouTube is used by David Taub ______.
A.to sell his guitars |
B.to start his new busincss |
C.to advertise his business |
D.to set up his own website |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Most of new videos made by professionals go up on YouTube every day. |
B.People use the website YouTube to entertain others, help others, or inform others. |
C.YouTube gives people a place to put videos so they can share or enjoy different shows. |
D.For many people, YouTube is not only just a website to visit but also a way to communicate with others. |
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is a Chinese animated television series about a group of goats living on Green Grassland and a clumsy wolf who wants to hunt them. It is aired on over 40 local TV stations including Hong Kong’s TVB, BTV Animation Channel and CCTV. The following are the main characters and their characteristics.
Characters |
Characteristics |
![]() Slowy |
Slowy is an adult goat, serving as the elder and head of the lamb village. His character design is somewhat based on Albert Einstein, with wild frizzy hair, a mustache, and a pair of glasses. He is a scientist and develops machines to protect their school though he is slower than a snail and uses a walking stick. In addition, when he thinks too hard, his head will begin to grow leaves. |
![]() Weslie |
Weslie is the main character of the series. He wears a blue ribbon around his neck with a bell. Weslie is positive, observant, clever and always supportive of his friends. He takes a leadership role in his class and among his peers and is Slowy’s assistant. And in general, he is often the first to feel danger and see through Wolffy’s plans. |
![]() Paddi |
Paddi hates working and likes to sleep. He is often the first caught by Wolffy. Paddi is the cleverest goat of all of them too, although this is seldom seen because of his laziness. He is sometimes a bit selfish. He is also one of the most popular characters. |
![]() Wolffy |
Wolffy always wears an orange cap with a yellow patch and has a scar under his eye. He always thinks of clever plans to catch the goats, but he usually ends up being defeated. His failures to catch goats are met with angry scolding and violence from his wife, such as being hit over the head with a frying pan. Even so, his love for Wolnie never disappears. Sometimes he is seen as a respectable cartoon figure because of his faithfulness to his wife and his effort to catch goats. |
![]() Wolnie |
Wolnie is Wolffy’s wife, who is always dressed in a red robe with black and white trims. She always hits him with her frying pan whenever his plans fail; however, she does love her husband. She is actually very smart and while her husband can think of strange inventions to catch goats, her simple ideas are the ons that are actually successful. |
根据材料内容选择最佳答案,并将其标号填入题前括号内。The animated television series is aired on TV stations EXCEPT_________.
A.Hong Kong’s TVB | B.BTV Animation Channel |
C.CCTV | D.A TV station in outer space |
How many goats are mentioned in the form?
A.4 | B.2 | C.3 | D.5 |
Slowy has wild frizzy hair, a mustache, and a pair of spectacles. The character design is somewhat based on _________.
A. the inventor Edison B. the scientist Albert Einstein
B. the thinker Confucious D. the leader Mao ZedongWhat do you think of Woffy?
A.His plans always fail, so he is foolish. |
B.He is always scolded and hit by his wife, so he will leave the castle soon. |
C.He wears a red cap with a yellow patch and has a scar under his eye. |
D.He is seen as a respectable cartoon figure by people because of his faithfulness to his wife and his effort to catch goats. |
Which of the following is wrong according to the information in the form?
A.Weslie is positive, observant, clever but selfish. |
B.Weslie is often the first to feel danger and see through Wolffy’s plans. |
C.Paddi hates working and likes to sleep, but he is the most intelligent goat of all of them. |
D.Though Wolnie often shouts at and hits her husband with her frying pan whenever his plans fail, she does love her husband. |
It is December 25th, 2050. The people in the city are all celebrating Christmas. I’m the mayor of our city. My citizens and I are holding a big party under the sea, though you wouldn’t believe it. But please do not feel excited, you should feel sad because we have to live under the sea. Because of the pollution, the earth has been completely destroyed, from top to bottom. The atmosphere has no oxygen and moisture. As a result, the plants are burned by the strong sunlight with a great number of harmful rays. Of course, none of them are still alive. Not only no green, but also the temperature reaches about 121℃ all day even in winter because there is too much CO2 circling the earth.
On the land, there is no life. Luckily, the sea is not destroyed by human. So, we have to move into the sea. At the bottom of the water, people have built many new cities. There is a lot of advanced(高深的,先进的) equipment in each city. Computers are used to control all the machines, even the people’s life. We can also make the seawater into fresh water. There are two machines making oxygen. If they stop working for only one minute, more than 10 million people will die.
The population of our city is over 30 million and, of course, it is quite crowded. We have lots of high buildings and bridges. The roads are wide, too. Our cars are small UFOs, don’t be surprised, it is true. At the bottom of the sea you can’t see anything, because there is no light all day. However, we have advanced lighting equipment so that we can see the “sun” under the sea. Of course, the advanced lighting equipment is very expensive. And if it doesn’t work, we can see nothing under the sea. What should we do then?Where are they holding a big Christmas party?
A.On the land | B.Under the sea |
C.In high buildings | D.On the road |
What controls people’s life under the sea?
A.Machines | B.Advanced equipment |
C.Computers | D.Human beings |
Why do people have to live under the sea in 2050 according to the passage?
A.It is interesting to build cities and live under the sea. |
B.We have advanced lighting equipment so that we can see the “sun” under the sea. |
C.We can make oxygen under the sea with the high technology. |
D.There is no oxygen and moisture around the earth as it is destroyed. |
What can we learn from this article?
A.We should protect our environment instead of destroying it. |
B.There will be no lives in the world in 2050. |
C.People prefer to live under the sea in 2050. |
D.The plants are burned by the strong sunlight with a great number of useful rays. |
. The best title for this passage might be___________.
A.A Christmas In The Future |
B.A City Under The Sea |
C.The Underwater Life |
D.The Future Life Under The Sea |
Once, there was a beautiful girl who didn’t like herself, because she was blind, she couldn’t see anything.
In fact, the girl loved nobody except her boyfriend, for he was always ready to help her. She used to tell her boyfriend, “If I could see the world, I would marry you.”
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to the girl. When the bandages came off,she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend for the first time. He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” The girl looked at her boyfriend and was greatly surprised to see that he was blind, too. She had never expected that, and she would not like to be with a blind husband for the rest of her life, so she refused to marry him.
Her boyfriend left in tears and a few days later wrote a note to her, saying, “My dear, take good care of your eyes. Before they are yours, they were mine.”
So, this is how the human brain often works when our situation changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before. And we often ask for more than we need. Life is a gift. Today, before you complain about the taste of your food,think of those who have nothing to eat. Before you complain about life,think of some ones who went to heaven too early. Before you complain about your old house, think of the people who are living in the streets. And when you are tired and complain about your job, think of those who have no jobs.
In a word, enjoy the things you have and don’t forget your past.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案,并将其标号填入题前括号内。 The girl liked ________ before she was able to see.
A.herself | B.nobody |
C.her boyfriend | D.everybody |
The underlined word “bandage” mean _________.
A.眼镜 | B.眼罩 | C.帽子 | D.绷带 |
What did her boyfriend do when the girl refused to marry him?
A.He felt hopeless and killed himself. |
B.He left in tears and wrote a note telling the girl to take care of the eyes. |
C.He called the police. |
D.He asked for more than he needed. |
______ donated a pair of eyes to the girl.
A.An known person | B.Her father |
C.Her boyfriend | D.Her mother |
What can we learn by reading the fifth paragraph?
A.Enjoy the things you have and don’t forget your past. |
B.The girl should marry her boyfriend. |
C.Before you complain about the taste of your food, think of those who have nothing to eat. |
D.When you are tired and complain about your job, think of those who have no jobs. |
Cities and towns in 35 countries took part. The year 2012 saw 6,950 towns and cities in more than 152 countries took part in Earth Hour movement. Last year 7,000 towns and cities in more than 154 countries took part in Earth Hour. This year, WWF is calling for people across the world to take part in Earth Hour 2014 – the biggest switch-off in history.
For the eighth year, people are being asked to turn off their lights for one hour to call attention to the issue of climate change. The WWF’s organizers say climate change is one of the greatest threats(威胁) facing wildlife and nature. They also say when it comes to save energy and money, big changes start with small steps like turning out the lights.
Earth Hour supporter Jamie Oliver has some great ideas of his own for helping the environment: “We can all make simple changes to help, like always choosinghigher-welfare(规模化养殖的) meat, and even trying to have a couple of meat-free days a week. More little steps, such as taking a shower instead of a bath, leaving the car behind and walking to work, not leaving electrical appliances on standby(备用的) and so on are the beginning of a low carbon lifestyle and a healthier world.
This year, Earth Hour is asking people to take the movement “beyond the hour”. Earth Hour is a call to stand up and get involved. We hope everyone will join us in turning off for a brighter future.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?
A.The first Earth Hour movement |
B.History of Earth Hour and its tasks. |
C.Earth Hour has changed our lives. |
D.Everyone can make a difference. |
Which of the following is Wrong?
A.The first Earth Hour started in 2007 in Australia. |
B.This year people are expected to turn off their lights for over one hour. |
C.For seven years , Earth Hour calls for action on climate change. |
D.7,000 towns and cities in over 154 countries took part in Earth Hour 2013. |
According to the passage, all the following are small steps we can take Except_____.
A.Turning off our lights in Earth Hour. |
B.Taking a bath instead of a shower |
C.Going to work on foot instead of by car |
D.Choosing higher-welfare meat |
The best title of the passage is_________________.
A.Climate Change: the greatest threat |
B.WWF: a global charity |
C.Earth Hour: small steps big difference. |
D.Climate Action: a global call |
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering(递送) milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer (自动换币器) fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a coin out of his changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese and other milk products. If we needed to change our order, my mother would write on a note-“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”-and put it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.
All of this was about more than convenience(方便). There was a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, as a result, making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every time my son’s friends ask what it is, I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk. Why did Mr. Basille give the boy a coin out of his changer?
A.To show his magical power. |
B.To satisfy the boy’s curiosity(好奇心) |
C.To pay for the milk. |
D.To win the family’s trust (信任). |
What can be inferred (推断) from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?
A.He wanted to have tea there. |
B.He was a powerful person. |
C.He was treated as a family member. |
D.He was fully trusted by the family. |
Why is there no home milk delivery today?
A.Nobody wants to be a milkman now. |
B.The government has stopped it by law. |
C.It has been driven out of the market. |
D.Its service is becoming worse and worse. |
Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A.He missed the good old days. |
B.He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
C.He missed it for his milk bottles. |
D.He used it to beautify the back porch. |