Right now in China, talks on the street have been about the strange weather and it's raising a lot of concerns. A heavy haze(雾霾) has blanketed many cities in the northern and southern parts of the country in part of an unusual weather system that’s descended on the nation.
The haze stretches over a vast area, from Hebei and Shan-dong Provinces in the north all the way to Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan and Fujian provinces in the south. At its worst, the smog is reducing visibility to less than 200 meters and disrupting traffic, both on the ground and in the air. The weather front has also led many to worry about the possible health impacts.
Many cities are waking up to another day covered by a dense haze. In Beijing, drivers have to keep their lights on even though it’s already past eight o’clock in the morning. Even driving at very slow speeds, the roads can still be very dangerous. In some of the worst hit areas, drivers can’t even tell the colors of traffic signals. Authorities have stepped in to close off many highways across the troubled region. In Shandong Province, the highways that are open are backed up for miles. And traffic police have stepped up their patrols.
In the region’s airports, flights information boards have gone red. A huge number of flights have been delayed or cancelled, nearly three hundred in Beijing alone, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Some are more frustrated than impatient. Passenger from Jinan airport, Shangdong province, said: “I’ve been waiting for more than five hours. It’s Mother Nature, so there’s really nothing we can do.” The airport is urging passengers to confirm with their carrier whether their flight will still take off as scheduled.
Back on the city streets, people are wearing breathing masks to get free from any ill effects. Fog has cleared a little in Shanghai. But damage has already been done. Shanghai resident said: “I’ve been wearing the mask, but still, my throat feels sour and itchy. I think it’s because of the weather.”
The weather forecast predicts a cold front is about to sweep across central and eastern China tomorrow. Many are hoping that this will clear away the depressive haze as well as the harm it brings.The harm the smog caused didn’t include .
A.reducing visibility to less than 200 meters |
B.disrupting traffic |
C.health problems |
D.heavy fog |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Only a small part of China suffered the haze. |
B.Many highways were blocked up |
C.All the flights were delayed or cancelled |
D.The bad weather would last another few days |
When the passenger said “It is Mother Nature”, he had a feeling of .
A.impatience | B.frustration |
C.Anxiety | D.curiosity |
The passage is developed by .
A.making comparisons |
B.giving examples |
C.following the time order |
D.analyzing the causes |
Australia -a huge island continent that lies to the south of Asia.Australia-more than two hundred years old, a nation that is still growing.
Its big cities lie on the southeast coast, this is where most Australians live.Australians prefer to own their own houses, though some live in apartments.Australians are a suburban people.The suburbs surround the cities for many miles, and so efficient transport is of great importance.As the economy grows, so do its industries- a higher level of production, a wider range of products.
The Australian works hard, but he likes his leisure.The climate makes outdoor activities the most popular.
Canberra, the capital of Australia, is a planned modem city located inland.Australia is governed by a parliamentary democracy.The representatives of other countries have their embassies here.Australia wants to strengthen relations with her neighbors.
Australia is a strange land, a land of vast expanses- fertile valleys, snow fields and deserts- also a land with unique animal, many that can not be found on any other continent in the world today.
Much of the continent is dry, but man has utilized the land, made it productive, with its tools, with its technology.This is the driest continent of all, and water is a precious possession, more precious than all other natural resources.Large dams are built to collect the water, there to irrigate the fields of pastures and crops. But Australia is changing.The land of wool and wheat is now a land of large-scale industry and mining.The costs of developing the new mineral discoveries are enormous, but the rewards are great too.
Australia — a young and developing nation.Australia — a nation that wants to communicate with its neighbors.Australia is an island located ______ of Asia and its big cities lie ____ of the coast.
A.to the south; on the southeast |
B.to the north; on the southwest |
C.to the east; on the northeast |
D.to the east; on the southwest |
We can infer from the passage that the Australian likes outdoor activities for the _____ climate.
A.dull and wet |
B.fine and shiny |
C.gloomy and rainy |
D.wet and cold |
____ is the most precious source in Australia.
A.Mineral resource | B.Animal | C.Desert | D.Water |
Which of the following statements about Australia is wrong?
A.Australians are a suburban people |
B.Australia is governed by a parliamentary democracy. |
C.Australia prefers to live in the downtown of big cities. |
D.Wool and wheat used to be the main products of Australia. |
“Hey, Jenna, do you think we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty – two?” I asked my friend. It was clear she was wondering where I had come up with such a question. Losing Jenna would be like losing a very close sister. We hung out together. We gave each other advice.
“Of course, we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty – two.” Jenna announced loudly.
The next year, in fourth grade, we met Jamie. The three of us soon became close friends. We played together almost every day. I thought even time couldn’t pull us apart, but I was sadly mistaken.
The three of us started fighting a lot. Before Christmas, we had a really big fight, and Jamie and Jenna were against me, both saying I was bossy. I felt helpless and lonely. I thought Christmas would be horrible!
I was surprised when Jenna came to my house and gave me an awesome Christmas card she had made for me. I was so sure that she was still disappointed with me.
“Wow, ” I said. breaking the silence as we stood on either side of my front door. “Thanks.”
“Okay…well…I have to go,” she said softly.
“Okay. See you late then…” and I closed the door.
“Who was that at the door?” my mum asked.
The card stared off with “Merry Christmas”, but then it said, “I am so glad we’re friends. I am sorry about what I said when we were fighting. A fight won’t stop us from being friends. Besides, we said we were going to be friends even when we’re eight – two.”
I stopped reading and started laughing. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten what she said that day in her back yard. I couldn’t believe I had been so selfish in trying to get even and making my friends feel sorry for me that I had forgotten about real friendship.How would the author and Jenna get along with each other after Christmas?
A.They would be close friends again. |
B.They would not speak to each other. |
C.They would lose touch with each other. |
D.They would go on fighting with each other. |
The underlined sentence “I was bossy” in the fourth last paragraph means “_________”.
A.I looked like a boss | B.I acted as boss |
C.I was fond of giving orders | D.I was fond of fighting |
Which of the following is the right time order according to the passage?
a. Jamie became our friend.
b. I felt lonely and unhappy.
c. Jenna, Jamie and I fought a lot.
d. Jenna brought me a Christmas card.
e. I was sorry for what I did to her.
f. Jenna and I promised to be lifelong friends.
A.f – a – b – c – e – d | B.a – c – f – b – d – e |
C.a – b – c – f – e – d | D.f – a – c – b – d – e |
The author was delighted when she read the card from Jenna because _________.
A.what Jenna wrote was funny |
B.Jenna would be her friend again |
C.she was happy about the coming Christmas |
D.she was happy to receive a Christmas cad |
Once upon a time in a land far away, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything:animals, spiders, insects...
One day while walking through the woods, the nice old man found a cocoon(茧)of a butterfly.He took it home.A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.Then it seemed to stop making any progress.It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then appeared easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, fragile wings.The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would be smaller in time.Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling (慢慢爬行)around with a swollen body and fragile wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and hurry did not understand was that the limited cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature’s way of forcing fluid (液体)from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles and difficulties, it would disable us.We would not be as strong as what we could have been.And we could never fly.The butterfly could never fly because ________.
A.it was too fat and strong. |
B.it loved crawling around. |
C.it got out of the cocoon easily. |
D.it didn’t get through the cocoon . |
The text is most likely to be found in a book about__________.
A.popular science | B.humorous stories. |
C.successful people | D.philosophy events . |
What is the implied meaning of the passage?
A.Life without any obstacles and difficulties is perfect. |
B.Obstacles and difficulties contribute to success. |
C.Never help a butterfly to get out of the cocoon. |
D.A butterfly can never fly without going through the cocoon. |
Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work , forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived(复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish song which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.What does the author tell us in paragraph 1?
A.How the Irish fought against the English. |
B.How Ireland gained independence. |
C.How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
D.How two “Irelands” came into being.. |
We learn from the text that in Ireland .
A.food shortages in the 1840s led to a decrease in population |
B.people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
C.it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
D.different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
The last paragraph is mainly about.
A.the Irish character | B.Irish culture |
C.Irish musical instruments | D.a famous Irish writer |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Life in Ireland |
B.A Very Difficult History |
C.Ireland, Past and Present |
D.The Independence of Ireland |
Student Membership-----Cambridge Arts Cinema
Cambridge Arts Cinema is one of the art houses in Britain and home of the internationally celebrated Cambridge Film Festival. Since 1947 generations of students have discovered the wealth of world cinema. Now you too can make most of it and save money. If you’re a member of Cambridge Arts Cinema, you will enjoy free .
A.Darkroom Gallery shows |
B.mailed programmes |
C.special film events |
D.film shows |
How long will the membership for Cambridge Arts Cinema last?
A.Four months. | B.Eight months. |
C.Nine months. | D.One year. |
For what purpose is the text written?
A.Offering students cheaper tickets. |
B.Announcing the opening of a premiere. |
C.Telling the public of the cinema’s address. |
D.Increasing the cinema’s membership. |