Our surrounding(周围) is being polluted faster than nature and man’s present efforts can’t prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, an more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man—by his desire for a modern way of life. We make “increasing industrialization” our chief aim. So we are always ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from countryside to cities, eager for the benefit of our modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn’t it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going—and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, “I’ve some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we’re making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we’re lost and don’t know where we’re going.” The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society.Man can’t prevent the world from being polluted mainly because .
| A．many man-made materials |
| B．more cars, trucks and buses |
| C．more people and more industry |
| D．more cities |
People crowd into the cities because_________.
| A．they want very much to find well-paid jobs |
| B．they eager for the achievement of our modern society |
| C．they have become tired of their homeland |
| D．they have a strong wish to become industrial workers |
The story about the airline pilot tells us that_________.
| A．man knows where the society is going |
| B．people do not welcome the rapid development of modern society |
| C．man can do little about the problem of pollution |
| D．the writer is worried about the future of our society |
What does the writer really want to say in this passage?
| A．With the development of technology, pollution has become a serious problem. |
| B．Lower the speed of development to stop pollution. |
| C．It’s time we did something to reduce pollution. |
| D．As industry is growing fast, pollution is the natural result. |
You can love them or hate them, but no matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you'll see someone with their head buried in a Lonely Planet guidebook.
Lonely Planet is one of the world's largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts (播客) all devoted to travel.
Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They also save time and make sure you don't miss the best things.
They also provide the reviews of hostels, hotels, restaurants and ticket information about your destination.
This can be great if you're a nervous traveler, or if you haven't traveled by yourself before. If you're in a country where you don't speak the language, sometimes there's nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map that directs the taxi driver to a hostel that's cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.
But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers like them. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity (自发性) out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also regret that if you follow a guidebook, you'll end up doing the same thing and having the same experience as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same route.
Another criticism of travel guides is that they have a large impact on local communities. For example, some locals devote their lives to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They pretend to live a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses in order to attract the tourist dollar.The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that _____.
| A．you can speak a foreign language when opening a guidebook |
| B．you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city |
| C．it provides lots of useful information about your destination |
| D．it can help you save time and money when traveling |
People criticize the guidebook because ________.
| A．it is not as useful as most travelers expect |
| B．tourist destinations will be crowded if everyone follows the same route |
| C．travelers may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures |
| D．local people keep modern lifestyles under its influence |
What do we know about the Lonely Planet guidebook from the text?
| A．It's a world-famous brand only producing guidebooks for travelers. |
| B．It's very useful to a person who's nervous about touring an unfamiliar place. |
| C．It's very useful to a tourist who likes to repeat others' experiences. |
| D．It is loved by all travelers because of the convenience it brings to travelers. |
Which of the following best shows the structure of the text? (①－⑦ stand for
Paragraph l－Paragraph 7 )
The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever intelligent bicycle, fitted with electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.
Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle, runs on electricity. A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1, 700 to 3, 200 euros per bicycle.
The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating (震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.
The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while, the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead.
"Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed," said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project. "The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry," he said.
''More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances," Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP. "This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling," she said.
In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country. Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.
Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67%, were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office. The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.
The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.
The intelligent bicycle is aimed to ________.
| A．protect the environment |
| B．help reduce traffic pressure |
| C．popularize the use of bicycles |
| D．improve safety for elderly cyclists |
Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when another cyclist was suddendly
found ahead ?
| A．The handlebars. | B．The wheels. |
| C．The saddle. | D．The onboard computer. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go |
| B．the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high |
| C．the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing |
| D．the elderly are planning to give up cycling |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Test Bicycle | B．Elderly Cyclists |
| C．A Smart Bicycle | D．A Bicycle-mad Country |
Sports are the base of my life, next to my mother who raised me when my dad left us. I have been into sports since I was six years old. I have known many coaches and heard hundreds of their tips, but they usually focused on drills to develop my skills and reach the next level of play.
When I was in Senior Two, I met the new school basketball coach, Brian Pawloski. I thought I was certain to be selected for the school team since I had been in it the year before. I showed up to the tryouts and put out about 90% effort since I thought I’d make it with no problem. That was a big mistake.
Brian Pawloski is the hardest-working coach I have ever met. He didn’t expect 100% effort, he expected 200% effort. One example: he once made us do 40 suicide drills for the 40 lay-ups (投篮) we missed in a game. Some think this is crazy, but it isn’t. After this conditioning practice, as we were getting a cup of cold water to drink, I said, “coach, that was the best practice I ever had.” I was completely sincere. This man was and is the person who influenced me most at my high school. He expects us to be excellent not just on the court but in the classroom. If I am not working on basketball, I am reading a book that he thinks will help us better understand life’s challenges, including Wooden, Coach, and The Screwtape Letters.
In the first two years I slacked off, not putting forth my full potential. Now, unlike the coaches of my youth, this man was interested in how he did off the court. He always made sure I kept up with my studies and was able to be trusted. I can honestly say that no other coach has given me so much advice on how to succeed in basketball, but more importantly, in life. My school is lucky to have such a great person to teach, coach and influence their students. I will always remember my high-school basketball days as one of the hardest times I have ever worked in my life not only in basketball but in my growth as an individual.Different from other coaches, Coach Brian ________.
| A．concentrated on skill training |
| B．expected the team to do well in their studies |
| C．trained the team to the edge of death |
| D．asked the team to do more reading than training |
The underlined phrase “slacked off” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
| A．paid no attention | B．showed no interest |
| C．made less effort | D．had less passion |
In the author’s eye, Coach Brian is ________.
| A．professional and serious |
| B．hardworking and honest |
| C．skilled and cruel |
| D．strict and helpful |
Dear Dr.Servaas,
I was diagnosed with histoplasrnosis（组织胞浆菌病）30 years ago ．At that time， my doctor told me that it was lung fungus（真菌）that could affect my eyesight.This has happened·Can it affect other organs of the body？
F．Buongiorne
Delta Junction，Arkansas，
Most people have no symptoms resulting from the lung infection，explains histo expert Dr.L.Joseph Wheat，when symptoms do develop，they are usually mild and will disappear without treatment
In some cases，however，histo can spread from the lungs and cause more serious problems．
“Histo is more severe in persons with diseases that reduce thcir immunity or who are receiving immunosuppressive（免疫抑制）medications,”says Dr.Wheat，"In such cases，histo can spread from lungs to other parts of the body．Patients with this type of histoplasmosis usually have constant fever，sweats，and weight loss·Excellent tests are available to diagnose this type of histo，and the treatment is highly effective·”
As mentioned by our Arkansas reader，eye problems accompanied by vision loss have been reported long after the first infection．
"Histo is thought by some to be a cause of spots on the back of the eye，called ‘histo spots’，”notes Dr·Wheat．“These injuries cause no problems in some patients， while in others they cause visual loss．There is no proof that histo causes these spots， however，as the organism is not found in the injured parts，and treatment for histo is not effective for the eye spots．”
People catch histoplasmosis by breathing extremely small spores（孢子）of the histoplasma fungus into their lungs·This fungus is commonly found in areas polluted by bird or bat droppings such as caves，chicken cages，barns（谷仓），and under bridges．It will spread through the air during construction or whenever plowing，sweeping，or digging disturbs the soil．What’s the problem with F．Buongiorne？
| A．He has recently been diagnosed with his to． |
| B．He is having difficulty in breathing． |
| C．He is worried about his health． |
| D．He has become totally blind． |
Which of the following is Dr．Wheat’s opinion about“histo"？
| A．The disease is equally harmful to all people． |
| B．The disease will make people put on weight． |
| C．The disease won’t cause serious problems and no medicine is effective for it· |
| D．The disease doesn’t，t necessarily have a serious effect on every patient with it· |
How is“histo" related to“histo spots"？
| A．"Histo spots" may not be caused by“histo"． |
| B．Patients with“histo" will have“histo spots"． |
| C．"Histo spots" will cause visual loss to all patients． |
| D．“Histo spots" can be cured by the same medicine as cures“histd |
We can infer from the passage that＿ ．
| A．“histo" spreads through water |
| B．"histo" originates from animals |
| C．you may have the disease by eating affected chicken |
| D．workers in a close office are most likely to have“histo" |
It has happened to all of us．You want to talk about an object，but you forgot the name of it．Or you never knew the name at all．Maybe you are not even sure there is a word for it．
For example，that thing, that you need to fix your bicycle．Or perhaps it is something you need for your computer·Or that part on your motorcycle that never，ever seems to work．
What are these things?
They are called“doohickies"·A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know，or you have forgotten，the real name of an object·
The MacMillan Dictionary defines doohickey as“something such as a small object or tool that you cannot remember the name of"·The American Heritage Dictionary says it is“something，especially a small device or part，whose name is unknown or forgotten"．
Language experts say the word first started being used in the United States in the early 1900s· But other experts say they have seen examples of words like that in writings from the middle 1800s．
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English gives this example of how native speakers might use doohickey：“I need one of those doohickeys，you know，with the long handle．”
Merriam-Webster adds that doohickey may be a combination of two other words：“doodad" and“hickey" ．Strange as it may be，both of these words mean the same as doohickey．The dictionary lists a lot of strange words as.synonyms for doohickey．The most common are whatchamacallit，whatnot and whatsit．
You will probably never see these words in official documents or newspaper reports·But you might hear them in informal American English，when people are talking to each other·
“Hey，what does this doohickey do，anyway?”
"Dude，bring me that thingamajig，willya·”
"Janine，can you get me one of those whatchamacallits?”
Most Americans will know what you are talking about if you use one of those words.Just point at the object，use one of these words，and they will bring it to you·When people need a doohickey it means they need something＿＿·
| A．which can be used to repair a bicycle |
| B．which can be used to fix a computer |
| C．whose name is forgotten |
| D．whose handle is very long |
The words similar to doohickey were most likely to be seen in＿＿for the first time．
| A．1800 | B．1850 | C．1900 | D．1950 |
You are sure to find the word whatchamacallit in＿＿
| A．the Macmillan Dictionary |
| B．the American Heritage Dictionary |
| C．an Official document or a newspaper report |
| D．the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English |
The above，passage is mainly about＿＿·
| A．a special word |
| B．American English dictionaries’ |
| C．the development of American English |
| D．the way to learn and use American English |