Jumping across cities
Forget about expensive gyms; the new sport in cities is free-running. Since it started in a Paris suburb around 1995, free-running has attracted lots of fans in cities around the world. Instead of walking normally, free-runners jump over or around anything―cars, buildings, trees, or streetlights―in their way.
One of the sport’s inventors told our reporter how free-running started.
It was boring where we lived. There was nothing for us to do after school. We had done playground games like football and basketball when we were kids but we wanted something new and exciting. We started learning how to jump and run between buildings―and we loved it. Walking is a waste of time. Free-runners have to use their imaginations. Everything―a tree, a streetlight―is part of our outdoor gym. We’re like children because we have never stopped playing in the street.
The sport’s website has lots of rules, for example, don’t break people’s windows, don’t jump on flowerbeds and don’t be rude to people who want you to stop. Safety is also very important. You must start with the easy moves―you have to do thousands of small practice jumps before you try anything difficult. If you made only one mistake, you might hurt yourself badly.
A local person said, “It’s good that young people have something to do. But when they jump off buildings like cats, they sometimes frighten other people.”
Don’t try this at home: the basics of free-running
Blind Jump: a jump where you can’t see the landing spot.
Tic-tac: run and put your foot on a small step, go forward and jump over the next thing.
Basic Jump: run and jump, land on two feet while bending your knees. To finish roll into head-over-heels.
Cat Jump: run towards a wall, put both hands on the top of the wall and jump through your arms.
Free-running started __________.
| A．about twenty years ago | B．with the help of schools |
| C．in big cities of America | D．among famous sportsmen |
Free-runners shouldn’t ____________.
| A．use their imaginations | B．start with the easy moves |
| C．jump on flowerbeds | D．run between buildings |
According to the passage, free-running is a（n）__________sport.
| A．ancient | B．expensive |
| C．safe | D．exciting |
The purpose of this passage is to ___________.
| A．explain the importance of outdoor activities |
| B．introduce some information about free-running |
| C．warn children not to join in dangerous sports |
| D．advise people to do more exercise at home first |
When Dean Arnold got his first job, he was miserable (痛苦的), Each time he went to work, he coughed and he couldn’t breathe. Working in a bakery(面包房) when you are allergic to (对…过敏) flour can be painful.
But Arnold stayed with the National Biscuit Company for ten years. He was a businessman and he helped them improve production. At last his health problems became too serious. He left and formed his own company.
With his wife and mother, he founded Arnold Bakery. They tried new recipes (配方), changing the kind and amount of flour used. This enabled Arnold to work there without too much pain. The bread, made with unbleached flour (标准粉), was baked in a brick oven (烘炉).
They began by baking two dozen loaves. The bread was sold door to door for fifteen cents a loaf. Winning customers to his unusual, ol
d-fashioned bread took time. But Arnold, struggling against his allergy, built his bakery into one of the largest in the United States.A good title for this passage would be ______.
| A．A Sick Baker | B．A Brick-oven Bread Baker |
| C．An Old-fashioned Baker | D．How to Overcome Allergy |
Dean left the National Biscuit Company because he ______.
| A．suffered from allergy to flour | B．didn’t like the job |
| C．wanted to make more money | D．wanted to form his own company |
During his stay in the National Biscuit Company, ______.
| A．he founded Arnold Bakery |
| B．he tried a new method of baking |
| C．he helped the company improve their production |
| D．he became successful in his business |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Arnold’s bread was baked in a brick oven. |
| B．Arnold’s bread was made with unbleached flour. |
| C．Arnold’s bread was sold at a low price. |
| D．Arnold’s bread was of poor quality. |
On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and telephoned the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel ball before, though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles.”
The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because.
| A．he asked to see the manager |
| B．he entered the hall with a bike |
| C．the manager had to know about all foreign guests |
| D．the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him |
Friedlander is visiting the three countries in the following order, .
| A．China, India, and Pakistan | B．India, China, and Pakistan |
| C．Pakistan, China, and India | D．China, Pakistan, and India |
What made Friedlander want to come to China?
| A．The stories about Marco Polo. | B．The famous sights in Xi’an . |
C．His interest  in Chinese silk. |
D．His childhood dreams about bicycles .、 |
Friedlander can be said to be .
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．hardworking | D．strong—minded |
In order to know a foreign language thoroughly (完全地)，four things are necessary. First, we must understand the language when we hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, correctly with confidence(自信) and without hesitation (犹豫). Thirdly, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
There is no short way to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. It is no much use learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language. If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must “Learn through use”. Practice is important. We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can.The most important things to learn a foreign language are .
| A．understanding and speaking | B．hearing, speaking, reading and writing |
| C．writing and understanding | D．memorizing and listening |
Which of the following is the most important in learning a foreign language?
| A．A good memory. | B．Speaking. | C．Practice. | D．Writing. |
“Learn through use” means .
| A．we use a language in order to learn it |
| B．we learn foreign language in order to use it |
| C．we can learn a language well while we are using it |
| D．both B and C |
Brighton is in the county of East Sussex, on the South coast of England. Situated between the English Channel and the South Downs, Brighton is 90 km from London. Brighton’s nearby neighbor, Hove, is seen by some as a more desirable location than Brighton and it is often referred to by locals as "Hove, actually".
Brighton is a small city but there’s probably as much going on here as anywhere in the country except London. Brighton has numerous entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a considerable business conference industry. There’s a huge range of entertainment venues, including comedy at the Brighton Komedia, world music, opera and ballet at the Brighton Dome, jazz at the Joogleberry, top stars at the Brighton Centre and pre-West End shows at the Theatre Royal. The live music scene is also alive and well with several bands originating from the Brighton area going on to have commercial success in recent years.
Every year in May, Brighton hosts the "Brighton Festival" ------ the largest arts festival in England. Brighton’s theatres, concert halls, streets and some of the city’s most extraordinary venues host an array of art, entertainment and extravaganza (盛大表演). The earliest feature of the festival, "Open Houses" ------ homes of artists and crafts people, opened up to the public as galleries and usually sell the works of the inhabitants and their friends.
Students at the two universities in the area give the city a youthful vitality (活力), and in the summer, thousands of young students from all over Europe gather in the city to attend language courses. In addition to the usual coastal attractions, vacationers are drawn to the city’s Georgian architecture, trendy shops, and fine restaurants. Points of interest also include the Edwardian Preston Manor, the ornate Royal Pavilion, the engaging Sea Life Center, and a variety of museums and art galleries. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To introduce Brighton to the readers. |
| B．To attract foreign students to study in Brighton. |
| C．To show his admiration for the city of Brighton. |
| D．To list entertainments in Brighton. |
What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．The term of "Hove" | B．The situation of Brighton. |
| C．The county of East Sussex. | D．The distance between Brighton and London. |
According to the passage，where can you go if you enjoy watching opera?
| A．Brighton Komedia. | B．Joogleberry. |
| C．Theatre Royal. | D．Brighton Dome. |
Why do people in Brighton have a good time in May every year?
| A．Because they can enjoy all kinds of music played by top artists. |
| B．Because top stars from the world will go to Perform there. |
| C．Because the largest arts festival in England is held there. |
| D．Because the local people can appreciate works in the Open Houses. |
How many of the followings that attract people to Brighton are mentioned?
a. two universities b. the summer language courses
c. the coastal attractions d. the city’s Georgian architecture
e. the fine restaurants
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
Be aware of those who use the truth to deceive. When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can create a false impression. For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!” This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, or maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was winner. He’s really a big loser! He didn’t say anything that was false, but he omitted important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Untrustworthy candidates in political campaigns often use this tactic. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents runs an advertisement, saying “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples(粉刺).” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.Which statement is true according to the article?
| A．Whenever people tell the truth, they may lie |
| B．You cannot trust lottery agent. |
| C．All governors help their states. |
| D．The truth can be used in dishonest ways. |
The author clearly wants people ___________.
| A．to think carefully about what they read and hear |
| B．to vote for female candidates |
| C．not to believe advertisements of any kind |
| D．not to trust any politician |
Governor Smith’s opponents wanted __________.
| A．to make her a liar | B．to beat her in the campaign |
| C．to get jobs in the government | D．to detect her lie |