Three-quarters of a million tourists flock to the white beaches every year，but this booming industry has come at a price．Poisonous smoke rising from open fires，rubbish made up of plastic bottles，packets…it’s a far cry from the white sands，clear waters and palm trees that we associate with the Maldives(马尔代夫)，the paradise island holiday destination set in the Indian Ocean．
Of its 200 inhabited islands，which are spread across an area of 35，000 square miles，99 are good resorts(旅游胜地)．So many tourists come every year，more than double the local population．Of these，over l 00，000 travel from the U K．The capital，Malé，is four times more densely populated than London．Given these facts，it’s hardly surprising that the Maldives has a waste disposal problem．
Years ago，when the tourists left，the government had to deal with a stream of rubbish．Their solution was to turn one of the islands into a dumping ground．Four miles west of Malé is the country’s dumping ground，Thilafushi．What you are seeing here is a view of the Maldives on which no honeymooners will ever clap eyes．Each visitor produces 3.5 kg of waste per day．The country dumps more than 330 tons of rubbish on the island every day．
Now，since many waste boats，fed up with waiting seven hours or more，directly offload their goods into the sea，the government of the Maldives has banned the dumping of waste on the island．So，the waste boats ship the rubbish to India instead．The underlined part can probably be replaced by ___________.
| A．it’s quite similar to | B．it’s a long distance from |
| C．it’s a loud shout from | D．it’s totally different from |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．It is much more crowded in Malé than in London. |
| B．Another island will be used as a dumpling ground. |
| C．No honeymooners are willing to visit the Maldives. |
| D．Waste on islands will be offloaded directly into the sea. |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
| A．To attract more tourists to the Maldives. |
| B．To state the waste disposal problem in the Maldives. |
| C．To call on us to protect the environment. |
| D．To explain the causes of pollution in the Maldives. |
When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the street of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country held Tom Thumb’s weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
61．“the talk of the town” means .
A．they were in the newspaper
B．people spread mean rumors about them
C．they were the most popular things happening
D．they were discussed in a city meeting
62．What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?
A．People gave it too much of their attention.
B．It helped people cheer up in a dark time
C．It was funny and ridiculous
D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
63．Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?
A．He became a billionaire at twenty-five
B．He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.
C．He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon
D．He married a school teacher.
64．It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because .
A．the wooden plate would make it sound as of Tom were tap dancing
B．it made Tom feel taller
C．the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
65．What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine
B．People are always disappointed during wartime
C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose
D．People should be married even if they are small
INDLANAPOLIS—Doctors and health advocates （提倡者）have warned for years that American children are getting fatter. Now even some kids’ teddy bears are packing on the pounds.
But these heavy toys aim to combat（对抗）obesity, not add to it.
Researchers at Indiana State University in Terre Haute tried a small experiment to test the effects of having kids play with heavier toys. They found that 10 children aged 6 to 8 burned more calories and had higher heart and breathing rate when they moved 3-pound toy blocks instead of unweighted blocks.
So could adding a small weight to stuffed animals and other toys help kids get fit?
“This is not going to solve the obesity problem,” said John Ozmun, a professor who did the study with graduate student Lee Robbins. “But it has been possible to make a positive contribution.”
Some experts cautioned that children could hurt themselves by trying to lift too much too soon and said more activity is preferable to heavier toys. But all agreed that childhood obesity is a big problem.
Obesity rate has become three times over the past 40 years for children and adolescents, raising the risk of diabetes（糖尿病）and other health problems. Federal health officials say more than a third of American children are overweight, and about 17 percent are considered obese（肥胖的）.
“Squeezing activity into daily routines can be a good way for children to get more exercise and shed unhealthy pounds,” said Aicia Moag-Stahlberg, who heads Action for Healthy Kids.
“By adding weights, you’re adding some intensity to the action,” she said.
Kara Tucker, youth development coordinator for the National institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis, said active playing helps youngsters work out without realising it.
“Giant soccer is one of my favorites,” Tucker said. “If we told the kids, ‘Hey, you’re going to run up and down the court 20 times,’ they would completely be uninterested. Yet when we put a big soccer ball out there, they will just run forever. They’re having a great time.”
56．What does the passage mainly tell us?
A．American children are getting fatter.
B．New toys are needed for overweight children.
C．Heavier toys help children to combat the obesity problem.
D．Doubts about heavier toys for obese children.
57．What does John Ozmun think of the measure of using heavier toys?
A．It can solve the obesity problem.
B．It is of little use to the obesity problem.
C．It may be of some help to the obesity problem
D．It may hurt children.
58．Some experts think it would be better for obese kids to .
A．play with light toys
B．play with less heavy toys
C．be on diet
D．have more activity
59．Which of the following is true about obese children in the US?
A．Obesity rate has risen by 30% over the past 40 years.
B．There are now three times as many obese children as 40 years ago.
C．One are fewer overweight children than obese children.
D．There are fewer overweight children than obese children.
60．What Tucker said in the last paragraph suggests that .
A．he himself likes playing giant soccer balls best
B．he prefers kids to have active playing
C．kids have no interest in running
D．an activity will not work if kids know the purpose of it
Raising pets is not a new thing in China , but recently it has taken on a new meaning .
As a famous Chinese saying goes, pursuit of petty (小的，不重要的) pleasures weakens one’s will to make progress . The saying has been so popular that even today many people still consider raising pets as a hobby of the idle .
Things have changed much recently and now raising pets has become a popular pastime , resulting in a successful pet care industry .
Pet food is sold in almost all supermarkets and many special stores for pet needs have been set up .
Animal hospitals provide various medical services for sick dogs and cats , and pet exchange fairs are held regularly .
At the China International Pet Show which took place recently in Beijing , more than 100 factories from across the country exhibited their products . Thousands of dealers and pet owners went to the show.
“People’s swollen pockets make it possible for many to raise pets , a hobby that used to be enjoyed only by the wealthy ,” said Wang Wei , who works with the National Kennel Association of China .
Wang Yuyan , vice president of the Small Animals Protection Association , agreed , “ In many films and novels , having a pet is used as a symbol of wealth . That’s not a complete picture . ” Wang added that pets are friends in a real sense of the word , not just playthings . “ Anyone with a loving nature can raise pets . ”
Still the high cost of keeping a pet is something many people have to think about .
“I like dogs and cats , but I have neither time nor money to raise them , ”said Li Jun , in her 40’s , a civil servant from Beijing .
The cost of raising a dog is high in Beijing , where registration (登记) is a must for all dogs and costs 5,000 yuan for each animal . In addition , pet owners must pay for regular injection of vaccines (疫苗). Most of all , dog food is quite expensive .
Unlike his mother , Li Jun’s 10-year-old son, Li Qiyu, dreams of the day he will have his own pet . “I hope I can have a dog in my house , ” he said .Things have changed much recently , because ___________ .
| A．people have all become kind-hearted | B．small animals have no places to live in |
| C．people’s living conditions are improving | D．more and more people are out of work |
In big cities in China today , raising pets ________ .
| A．has changed people’s life | B．has destroyed some families |
| C．has met much difficulty | D．has brought much business for some people |
According to Wang Yuyan’s opinion , raising pets _________ .
| A．is a necessary job for us all | B．is harmless for most people |
| C．should be a hobby of the rich | D．will make the poor happy |
Make a five-minute film and win !
Do you love the summer holidays but hate being bored ? Then why don’t you enter the Film Street Summer Shorts Competition by making a short film this summer with your family and friends ?
What you have to do
To enter the competition , you have to make a short film that is around 5 minutes long (It can be shorter but not longer !) on a digital camera , or mobile phone .
Awards
The best short film entered into our competition will be shown in Film Street’s Cinema and you’ll win a Cineworld Cinemas pass for yourself and three more for other members of your filmmaking crew(演职员). If you have a Cineworld Cinema pass , you can watch as many films as you like for a year, for free , at any Cineworld Cinema !
Rules
◆We can’t show films that tell others about either your , or any other kid’s name or address
◆We can’t show films that hurt , harm or insult (侮辱) other people .
◆We can’t show films that have bad language .
Copyright checklist (版权清单)
Getting permission to use someone else’s work in your film can be expensive , so check your film to
make sure that :
◆Your film is original and you haven’t copied someone else .
◆There are no scenes of branding (商标) on shop sights , books , magazines or CDs .
◆There are no scenes of someone else’s artwork
Address and Date
Post your finished film on tape , CD or DVD by Monday , October 1st , 2007 to :
Film Street Summer Shorts Competition
First Light Movies
Unit 6 , Third Floor , The Bond
180-182 Fazeley Street
Birmingham B5 5SE
So what’s stopping you ? Start making your Film Street Summer short now !Who is the passage written for ?
| A．Children | B．Parents | C．Teachers | D．Actors |
How many Cineworld Cinemas passes will the winner of the awarded in all ?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
From the third paragraph we can learn that _________ .
| A．the winner’s short film can be shown in any cinema |
| B．the competition is held by Cineworld Cinemas |
| C．the winner can watch films for free for one year at any Cineworld Cinema |
| D．the winner will be paid for his short film |
The underlined word “original ” is closest in meaning to “ ____________ “ .
| A．interesting enough | B．full of exciting moments |
| C．good for children | D．made by yourself |
Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .
One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .
Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .
Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .
The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .
Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .
The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?
| A．Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs |
| B．Because two million people were killed in the accidents . |
| C．Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures . |
| D．Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35 |
years .What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?
| A．Fly ash | B．Portland cement | C．Sand | D．Chemical |
Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
| A．Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States . |
| B．A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one . |
| C．People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1800s . |
| D．Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time . |
What does the passage mainly tell us ?
| A．The causes of road accidents . | B．The advantages of fly ash |
| C．The measures of avoiding road accidents | D．Latest information about long-life concrete bridges |