Why buy art? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of acquiring a piece of art. An artwork can cost a considerable sum, but if it meets your needs, it's worth every penny.
| Art Is for Enjoyment Art is meant to be displayed. Don't ever feel pressured to buy something you won't appreciate looking at day after day, no matter what other people may say. Don't buy something that doesn't appeal to you just because it is trendy（流行的）, because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you don't like the artwork at all, don't buy it! |
| Art Improves Your Environment Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an essential part of the decoration? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls. A well thought-out art collection will help create a unique pattern in your home and make it more attractive. For similar reasons, art often graces commercial buildings, such as reception rooms and the offices of top executives. |
| Art Makes a Statement The kind of art you surround yourself says much about your personality, tastes and values. Art truly is a mirror of the soul. It's an expression of who you are. Be true to yourself, and choose art which is meaningful to you. |
| Art Can Be an Investment Art can pay handsome returns, but this very rarely happens overnight. If you're hoping to make a fast buck, art may not be the right avenue for you. There are investors, of course, who like to put their money in art. They do this for two main reasons: emotional as well as financial benefits. |
| Art Enriches Your Life At a conference on health and aging, held in Australia, a professor from Melbourne's RMIT University shared his findings that love—even the love of an activity or a work of art contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan. |
| Art Makes an Impression When you need to give a gift which will make a lasting impression, a fine piece of artwork is hard to beat. Any recipient(接受者) will appreciate receiving such an exclusive gift, and be honored that you valued her enough to give her something so unique and precious. Just remember to select something which will appeal to your recipient's tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn't cost an arm and a leg. |
We can find something about the host's personality, tastes and values through looking at________ .
| A．the expression on the face |
| B．the mirror on the wall |
| C．the kind of art around him |
| D．the truth of the art in his home |
What does the underlined sentence "Good art needn't cost an arm and a leg" mean?
| A．Good art can purify humans' soul |
| B．Good art makes you work fast |
| C．Good art creates a good life |
| D．Good art does not always cost huge money |
From the passage we can learn that art __________.
| A．is a good way to become rich overnight |
| B．can awaken people to protect the environment |
| C．can help people to keep fit and live longer |
| D．can hardly serve as a present |
The passage is mainly about__________ .
| A．what function art has in people's life |
| B．how to choose artworks for your life |
| C．what attitudes people have to art |
| D．how to make a fortune from artworks |
"Reduce, reuse and recycle, this familiar environmentalist slogan tells us how to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfills and waterways.
The concept is being used to deal with one possibly dangerous form of waste – electronic junk (电子垃圾), such as old computers, cell-phones, and televisions. But this process for managing e-waste may be used in an unscrupulous way more often than not used, a recent report suggests.
“A lot of these materials are being sent to developing nations under the excuse of reuse – to bridge the digital divide,” said Richard Gutierrez, a policy researcher.
One of the problems is that no one proves whether these old machines work before they hit the seaways. Because of this, the report says, e-waste is a growing problem in Lagos, Nigeria, and elsewhere in the developing world. Much of the waste ends up being thrown away along rivers and roads. Often it’s picked apart by poor people, who may face dangerous exposure to poisonous chemicals in the equipment.
Businessmen also pay workers a little money to get back materials such as gold and copper. This low-tech recovery process could expose workers and the local environment to many dangerous materials used to build electronics. According to Gutierrez, this shadow economy exists because the excuse of recycling and reusing electronics gives businessmen “a green passport” to ship waste around the globe. “Developing nations must take upon some of the responsibility themselves,” Gutierrez said. But, he added, “A greater portion of this responsibility should fall on the exporting state.”
China, for example, has become a dumping place for large amounts of e-waste. The nation is beginning to take action to stop the flow of dangerous materials across its borders. The Chinese government, after many years of denial, is finally beginning to take the lead.The underlined word “unscrupulous” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
| A．unsafe | B．tricky | C．wrong | D．immoral |
What does the fourth paragraph mainly discuss?
| A．Old computers and TVs still work before they are sent abroad. |
| B．Poor people break up e-waste to collect some valuable materials. |
| C．A lot of e-waste is dumped in developing countries. |
| D．The problem of e-waste is growing in developing countries. |
From what Gutierrez said we can learn that ________.
| A．exporting countries should mainly be responsible for this problem. |
| B．neither rich nor poor countries should be blamed for this problem |
| C．developing countries should be responsible for this problem |
| D．poor countries should blamed for this problem |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．China has hidden a large amount of e-waste in many secret places |
| B．China has greatly changed hre idea about the problem of e-waste |
| C．China has prevented poisonous materials from entering China for a long time |
| D．China is falling behind other countries in dealing with e-wast |
The passage mainly tells us that _______.
| A．developing countries are facing serious environmental problems |
| B．e-waste is a growing problem in developed countries |
| C．e-waste is sent to developing countries under the excuse of reuse |
| D．developing countries are making full use of e-waste |
Climate change experts from the Tyndall Climate Research Centre in Britain have said urgent action is needed to curb the rapid growth in air travel if the government is to meet its commitments on tackling global warming. This report from Stephen Evans:
Falling ticket prices and rising incomes are leading to rapid growth in global air travel. According to the British government, the number of British air passengers, for example, will more than double in the next quarter of a century. Increases of such an order would mean much more aviation fuel being burned and aviation fuel may be more harmful to the environment than other fuels because the resulting smoke is emitted at high altitudes.
A group of scientists at the environmental research group, the Tyndall Centre, says that if Britain is to meet its overall target for cutting damaging emissions, other uses of fuel like for heating homes or driving cars would have to be cut dramatically.
The British government wants the use of aviation fuel covered by international agreement on the environment. The difficulty for any individual government is that taxing fuel used at its own airports might push airlines to move their operations to competing airports in other countries.Which statement is TRUE?
| A．A lot of people around the world have recently stopped flying because they have less money to spend and the price of plane tickets is going up |
| B．Half as many people as today will fly in the next 25 years. |
| C．Because more planes are suing more flight petrol and more pollution is being produced in the sky. |
| D．The British government would like all countries to agree not to tax airline fuel. |
Which is the reason that leads to the rapid growth in global air travel?
| A．The increase of incomes and the decrease of ticket prices. |
| B．The growth of the number of good planes. |
| C．The falling of the oil price. |
| D．The encouragement of the governments. |
The Tyndall Centre says ________.
| A．the number of British air passengers will more than double in the next quarter of a century. |
| B．Britain will have to use less energy at home and on the roads to meet the goal of cutting pollution. |
| C．If airports are taxed for using fuel by each country’s government, then airlines might use other airports with cheaper fuel taxes. |
| D．Only the use of aviation fuel needs to be cut down to meet the overall target for cutting damaging emissions. |
What’s the best title of the text?
| A．Falling Ticket Prices and Rising Incomes |
| B．Growth in Air Travel Harms Environment |
| C．Rapid Growth in Global Air Travel |
| D．More Flight Petrol, More smoke |
| Acorn Bank Garden & water mill A delightful walled garden with old varieties of fruit trees and flower borders, set against the backdrop of a 17th-century red sandstone house overlooking the Eden Valley. Herb garden planted with over 200 medicinal and culinary herbs. Dogs on leads are welcome on woodland walks. Children’s activity sheet available. Temple Soverby, Near Penrich, CA 10 lsp Tel: 017683 61893 Open: 19 March—30 October, daily except Monday and Tuesday, 10 am—5pm Tearoom open from 11am—4. 30 pm, Shop 10am—5pm Price: Adult ￡3, Child ￡1.5, Family ￡7.5 |
| The Beatrix Potter Gallery Original sketches and watercolors by Beatrix Potter for her children’s tales. 2005 exhibition will feature. The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and The Tale of the Pie and The Patty-Pan. Also on display in this atmospheric 17t h-century building is information on Beatrix Potter’s life. Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead, LA22 ONS Tel: 015394 36355 Open: 19 March—30 October, 10am—4. 30 pm, daily except Thursday and Friday. Also open 12—20 February, 2 & 3 June and 27 & 28 October. Price: Adult ￡3.50, Child ￡1.70, Family ￡8.70 |
| Hill Top Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated many of the famous children’s stories in this 17th-century farmhouse which she bought 100 years ago. Today you can view her personal treasures and step into the garden which is planted with flowers and vegetables, just as it would have been in Beatrix Potter’s time. Please note that this is a small and popular house, which gets very busy especially in school holidays. At peak times there are queues and by the end of the day not all visitors may be able to visit the house (we apologize for this). Please collect a timed ticket (including NT members) from the ticket office in the car park on your arrival. Hill Top, Near Sawrey, La22 OLF Tel: 015394 36269 Open: 19 March—30 October, 10: 30 am—4. 30 pm, daily except Thursday and Friday. Also open Thursday in August and 2 & 3 June and 27 & 28 October. Shop and Garden open Thursday and Friday, 10:am—5 pm. Ring for winter opening. Price: Adult ￡5, Child ￡2, Family ￡12 |
. From the ads mentioned above, we can learn _______.
| A．visitors can admire the scene of the Beatrix Potter’s time in Hill Top |
| B．visitors can admire the beautiful natural in both the Beatrix Gallery and Hill Top |
| C．the Beatrix Potter Gallery is more popular with children than Hill Top |
| D．Beatrix Gallery neighbors Hill Top |
If the Smiths and their 2 children visit the 3 sites, they will have to pay _______.
| A．￡28.2 | B．￡23.4 | C．￡28 | D．￡33 |
If you have the tickets, you must be able to _______.
| A．visit Hill Top at opening time |
| B．visit the Beatrix Potter Gallery on Friday |
| C．visit Acorn Bank at opening time |
| D．visit the three sites at any time |
We can learn from the ads that _______.
| A．you can enjoy yourself with a dog as you like at Acorn Bank |
| B．it is convenient for you to get a timed ticket for Hill Top |
| C．children who have passed a quiz will be admitted to the Beatrix Potter Gallery |
| D．you can book the tickets for Hill Top through the telephone number 015394 36355 |
When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying: “We have to go to work now,” you’re left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is, until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.
Stage schools often act as agencies（代理机构）to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.
A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn’t settle for spending only half the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?
Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 to 80 days.
The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don’t make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.
People would stop feeling uneasy when realizing that the children they’re talking to________.
| A．attend a stage school | B．are going to the theatre |
C．have got some work to do | D．love singing and dancing |
In the writer’s opinion, a good stage school should ________.
| A．produce star performers |
B．help pupils improve their study skills |
C．train pupils in language and performing arts |
D．provide a general education and stage training. |
“Professional work” as used in the text means ________.
| A．ordinary school work | B．money-making performances |
C．stage training at school | D．acting, singing or dancing after class |
Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?
| A．He thinks highly of what they have to offer. |
B．He favours an early start in the training of performing arts. |
C．He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows. |
D．He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached. |
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, "But, Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead."
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt-- a mistake 75% of US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belt ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth the Number One: It's best to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry, but any accident serious enough to "throw you clear" is able going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you'll have traveled through a windshield (挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times in cases where people are "thrown clear".
Myth Number Two: Safety-bets "trap" people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious (昏迷) due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situation, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren't needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour (mph).
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 metres. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, "But, Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead"?
| A．He was driving at great speed. |
| B．He was running across the street. |
| C．He didn't have his safety belt on. |
| D．He didn't take his medicine on time. |
The reason father was in a hurry to get home was that he __________.
| A．wasn't feeling very well | B．hated to drive in the dark |
| C．wanted to take some exercise | D．didn't want to be caught by the people |
According to the text, to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident is very dangerous because you ________.
| A．may be knocked down by other cars. |
| B．may get serious hurt thrown out of the car |
| C．may find it impossible to get away from the seat |
| D．may get caught in the car door |
Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe _______.
| A．the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident |
| B．they will be unable to think clearly in an accident |
| C．they will be caught when help comes |
| D．cars catch fire easily |
What is the advice given in the test?
| A．Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour. |
| B．Try your best to save yourself in a car accident. |
| C．Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving. |
| D．Drive slowly while you're not wearing a safety belt. |