The Rockford police chief and some city officials want to install video cameras in all 100 police cars. They think this will reduce the number of lawsuits(诉讼) against the city. In the last five years, Rockford has paid out more than five million dollars to settle about 40 lawsuits.
The chief said, “If cameras had been in those cars, we wouldn’t have had to pay one penny. We’re always pulling over drunks or drug users who try to fight the policemen or shoot them. Then they always say that the police started beating them first or started shooting at them first. What nonsense!”
The cost of installing cameras will be about $500 per car. The city council(委员会) will vote on the plan next Monday. Ten of the 13 council members, when asked about the plan, said that they liked the idea. One member said that it made good financial sense and common sense. If the cameras are supported, they can be installed in all the cars within six weeks.
The police officers gladly support camera use. One officer said that too many people thought the police were liars; cameras would show citizens that the police told the truth.
Citizen reaction to the idea of police car cameras is mixed. One person said that the police should have started doing this years ago when video cameras were invented. But an elderly man said that cameras were against privacy. “These police are trying to stick their nose into everything,” he said. He was going to attend the council meeting to fight the plan. He hoped that other citizens would join him.How did most council members feel about the plan?
| A．Worried. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Disappointed | D．Satisfied. |
The underlined word “liars” refers to the people .
| A．who tell lies | B．who catch thieves |
| C．who give advice | D．who buy products |
What are the public’s attitudes towards the plan?
| A．They will attend the council meeting. |
| B．They strongly support the elderly man. |
| C．They hold different opinions about it. |
| D．They think highly of video cameras. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Cameras in Police Cars. |
| B．A Plan Against the City. |
| C．All the Citizens, United! |
| D．Shooting at the Police. |
Rockford should pay about $ dollars for the plan.
| A．5,000,000 | B．50,000 |
| C．40,000 | D．1,300 |
1. Need a room close to the US
Embassy for a week in early January
I need a room close to the US embassy for a week in early January. My parents are going to the US embassy for visa interview on January 7th. I am looking for a place for them to stay around this date. Hotels are too expensive for them since they have been retired long ago. They speak Chinese only. Rent can be made through Paypal in USD or cash in CNY, if the price is right.
Reply to: house-510574487@craigslist.org
2. House wanted May 17-24
Looking for 5 bedrooms from May 17-24. Can be one large apartment or 2 smaller ones, but they must be close to each other. Please email me at jcshap@sina.com if you have a nice place with air conditioning, high speed Internet.
3. Home swap or share
I have a beautiful 3-bedroom home with pool and spa (桑拿浴池) in Las Vegas, the USA, 10 minutes from the strip (商业街). I am willing to share or swap (交换) my house for yours (home or apartment) during the holiday. I need a place for 2 or 3 people in Shanghai from May 19-25. in exchange, you can have my house for any week either during the holiday, or any other time as long as I have a one-month advance notice to set up for you so you can have my house all to yourselves. If interested, please email me at sdiem@cox.net and I will send photos for my home.
4. Apartment or house wanted May 8-28, 2013
My daughter is working in Shanghai and my family wants to be there to stay with her for some time. We are looking for a 2-3 room apartment or house to rent from May 28 in the Pudong District. Need air conditioning.
Thanks
Reply to: wcondon7@msn.comWhich advertisement pays special attention to housing location and price?
| A．Advertisement One. | B．Advertisement Two. |
| C．Advertisement Three. | D．Advertisement Four. |
The four advertisements all need a place _________.
| A．with access to the Internet | B．for at least seven days |
| C．for at least three people | D．with air conditioning |
If your family leave Shanghai for America for a seven-day trip next month, you will probably contact __________.
| A．house-510574487@craigslist.org | B．jcshap@sina.com |
| C．sdiem@cox.net | D．wcondon7@msn.com |
Which advertisement is looking for a place in a way different from the other three?
| A．Advertisement One. | B．Advertisement Two. |
| C．Advertisement Three. | D．Advertisement Four. |
Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Sometimes, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership(伙伴关系) which does good to both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the back of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites(寄生虫）on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so because they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The relationship develops until the two partners cannot do without each other. This is so in the corals(珊瑚）of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as “dustman”, taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.Some birds like to sit on a sheep because _________.
| A．they can eat its parasites |
| B．they consider the sheep as their shelter |
| C．they enjoy traveling with the sheep |
| D．they find the position most comfortable |
The underlined word “they” in the first paragraph refers to _______.
| A．birds and parasites | B．sheep, birds and parasites |
| C．parasites and sheep | D．birds and sheep |
It can be learnt from the text that the coral depends on the plants for ________.
| A．comfort | B．light | C．oxygen | D．food |
What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?
| A．Some plants depend on each other for food. |
| B．Some animals and plants develop their relationship easily. |
| C．Some animals and plants depend on each other for existence. |
| D．Some animals live better together. |
What’s in name? Well, apparently, our general happiness. Psychologists say that what we are called has a direct connection with our happiness.
Those called Judy and Joshua are the happiest, while Lynn or Ben is likely to be the unhappiest, according to research. Psychologist Dr David Holmes found that this can cause the association(联想) that others make with the name. Hearing the name Judy may make them think of actress Judi Dench or TV presenter Judy Finnigan, and people who are considered good-natured and happy. On the other hand, people think Paulines are unhappy because of the character Pauline Fowler from the TV programme East Enders. The research claims that this association influences the person with the name and so their personality is shaped to fit in. Dr David Holmes said, “This also has some relation with the original meaning of the name, for example, the original meaning of Judy is ‘praised’.”
Certain names also work well in certain aspects of life. In the workplace Richard and Judy are the happiest, while those called Ruth and Carly are the happiest in relationships. At the other end of the scale the unhappiest workers are Stuart and Liz, with the unhappiest in relationships being Frank and Harriet.
Dr Holmes said, “The relation we have with certain names, particularly important namesakes (同名者), also shapes how we see ourselves and so may have an effect on our confidence. Names are like product brands in having a powerful effect on attitudes and should therefore be chosen with care.”
“Other names are connected with being brave, outgoing or serious. Therefore, many celebrities change their names to ones which reflect these characteristic. This, in turn, influences parents when they choose names for their babies,” said Dr Holmes, “while names connected with ordinary people are rarely chosen for their babies.”What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．How to choose a good name for babies. |
| B．The relation between names and happiness. |
| C．How to have a name connected with celebrities. |
| D．The relation between names and success. |
According to the passage, which of the following names are better?
| A．Joshua and Ben. | B．Pauline and Frank. |
| C．Richard and Stuart. | D．Ruth and Joshua. |
The author may continue the passage with _________.
| A．names and product brands |
| B．famous people’s names |
| C．names and personality |
| D．parents’ choices of baby names |
Which of the following is connected with names according to the passage?
| A．Personality and self-confidence. | B．Self-confidence and position. |
| C．Position and characteristic. | D．Personality and appearance. |
In every school there is a “top” crowd that sets the pace, while the others follow their lead. Let’s say the top crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters. Pretty soon everybody is wearing a bright red sweater.
There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that on some people bright red sweater is extremely unbecoming. The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink or to drive cars at seventy miles an hour. Then the people who follow the lead are endangering their lives. They are like the sheep being led to the butcher.
Now, chances are that you have come across situations like these more than once in your life; chances are that one time or another you probably did something you knew to be wrong. You may have excused yourself by saying, “Gee, the crowd does it.” Well, let the crowd do it, but don’t do it yourself. Learn to say, “No.”
Develop your own standards and your own judgment. If you know the crowd is planning something you disagree to, have the courage to bow out mannerly. You’ll have the satisfaction of standing on your own two feet.Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Follow the Lead. | B．Top Crowd. |
| C．Being Yourself. | D．Bright Red. |
The author doesn’t think it good wearing red sweaters if ________.
| A．the crowd does it | B．you can’t afford them |
| C．you don’t look good in red | D．the situation isn’t safe |
According to the passage, people who follow the crowd _______.
| A．sometimes do things against their better judgment |
| B．make mistakes blindly |
| C．are willing to put their lives in danger |
| D．will in the end become pace-setters |
If you are living in the city, have you ever thought of going to live in the country for a change? Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think life in the city is more exciting and better than that in rural (农村的) areas, especially young people who like new and modern things.
Often people feel that they can find the latest styles only in the city. Other people are interested in technological (科技的) things and high-tech jobs and think they can find them only in a big city. If they want to find a job, especially a good position in a company, they feel they have to live in a city. To get these jobs, they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages (不利因素) of city life such as heavy traffic and pollution.
However, it is now possible to enjoy a higher quality of life in the countryside and still enjoy some of the advantages (好处) of living in the city.
Nowadays, travel is fast and information is available (可获得的) on the Internet, so many people are able to do their work in home offices.
Because they have e-mail and personal computers, they don't have to be in big cities to do their business. It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with technology. Now they can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and successful careers.The underlined phrase “put up with” (in Para. 3) probably means “_____”.
| A．change | B．stand |
| C．be angry with | D．be pleased with |
Now people can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and successful careers _____.
| A．because of the Internet and fast travel |
| B．because of e-mail and personal computers |
| C．because travel is fast |
| D．because the rural areas are developing faster than cities |
What is the author's opinion?
| A．She / he prefers to live in the countryside rather than live in the city. |
| B．She / he prefers to live in the city rather than live in the countryside. |
| C．She / he likes both city life and countryside life. |
| D．It is not clear which life she / he prefers. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Life in the city | B．Life in the country |
| C．Go and live in the city | D．Go and live in the country |