Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert, mountains are always changing—very, very slowly —as these forces of nature continue to
work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.Many plants may survive in deserts when___________.
| A．the rain is spread out in a year |
| B．the rain falls only in a few weeks |
| C．there is little rain in a year |
| D．it is dry all the year round |
Sand dunes are formed when___________.
| A．sand piles up gradually |
| B．there is plenty of rain in a year |
| C．the sea has dried up over the years |
| D．pieces of rock get smaller |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is .
| A．too much sand |
| B．more sand than before |
| C．nothing except sand |
| D．something else besides sand |
It can be learned from the text that in a desert____________.
| A．there is no rainfall throughout the year |
| B．life exists in rough conditions |
| C．all sand dunes are a few feet high |
| D．rocks are worn away only by wind and heat |
I was riding my special motorbike this past weekend and stopped at a store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the store she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.”Then she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things —and I will, too.” Her father hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer(祷告) just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
| A．Anxious. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Surprised. | D．Moved. |
What can we know about the author?
| A．He was a disabled man. | B．He usually drove too fast. |
| C．He worked in a store. | D．He often helped people in trouble. |
According to the passage, the girl _____.
| A．was not allowed to do some sports |
| B．used to be a completely healthy person |
| C．was unwillingly to communicate with a stranger |
| D．usually felt sad about life because of her disability |
What did the author’s gift refer to according to the girl’s father?
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. | C．The ride. | D．The prayer. |
| HOLIDAY HOMES IN MALLORCA Sailing and fishing in summer season. Beautifully situated houses with sights of sea and mountains, yet near to shops and restaurants. Cars and bicycles for hire. Sailing and sports clubs nearby. |
| ITALY IN COMFORT Coach trips of Italy with 21 days to visit five Italian cities. Start from London 1st May, 1st September. The trips are guided by Professor Martin Davis, head of Italian Studies, London University. See the arts and culture of historic Italy. |
| KIBBUTZ HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL Working holidays on a kibbutz (co-operative farm)in Israel. All nationalities welcome for one to three months, if prepared to work with kibbutz members. Rooms, food and trips to historic sights all provided free—you pay only for the special low-cost return flight. |
| TWO WEEKS ON A CARIBBEAN ISLAND Two-week holidays in the Hotel Splendid, on a lovely beach with golden sands, warm sunshine and deep-blue sea. Tennis, golf, sailing and all water sports, trips around the island. Near to town of Castries with lively evening entertainment—dancing. 1 st November—31 st March£720 per person 1 st April—30 th October£850 per person |
Jack and his wife Mary, who have recently retired, want to see places of cultural and historic interest abroad, but Mary hates flying.
Peter and Maria, university students, want to travel as far as possible on little money, and would like to get to know a country by working there for three months with other young people.
Michael, a young computer programmer, has been working hard and needs a holiday to relax in winter. He would like to go somewhere warmer and sunny, where he can swim in the sea, and he enjoys sports and dancing. The best holiday for Jack and Mary would be_________ .
| A．the 21-day coach trip of Italy |
| B．the 2- week stay in the Hotel Splendid |
| C．the 14-day trip around a Caribbean island |
| D．1-3months’ holidays on a kibbutz in Israel |
The most suitable place where Peter and Maria can enjoy their holiday would be_____.
| A．an Italian city | B．a kibbutz in Israel |
| C．a Caribbean island | D．a port in Mallorca |
Michael would most probably go to ________ for his holiday.
| A．Italy | B．Israel | C．Mallorca | D．a Caribbean island |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE ?
| A．In Italy, one can travel with a guide. |
| B．In Israel, one can work with others. |
| C．In Caribbean, one needs to pay £720 in summer. |
| D．In Mallorca , one can hire a car for sightseeing. |
Young people can have problems with their minds. Some students become worried because they have to study very hard. Others have trouble getting on well with people like their parents and classmates.
Li Wen, a student from No.2 High School, could not follow his teachers in class and, therefore, was doing badly in his lessons. He was in such low spirits for a long time that he started to cut his finger with a knife.
Another student, 16-year-old Yang Fang from No.1 High School, was afraid of exams. Even though she was well prepared for an exam, when she looked at the exam paper, she couldn’t think of anything to write.
A recent survey from Jiefang Daily says about 18% of Shanghai teenagers have mental problems. Their troubles include being anxious and very unhappy, and having problems in learning and getting on with people.
Liang Yuezhu, an expert on teenagers from Beijing Friendship Hospital has the following advice for teenagers:
Talk to your parents or teachers often.
Take part in group activities and play sports.
Go to see a doctor if you feel unhappy or unwell.The students who often become worried or have trouble getting on with others may have ______.
| A．physical problems | B．mental problems |
| C．fights with their classmates | D．arguments with their parents |
Li Wen cut his finger with a knife because ______.
| A．he was afraid of his teacher |
| B．he was so worried about his studies |
| C．he wanted to frighten his parents |
| D．there was something wrong with his finger |
Liang Yuezhu’s advice tells us that ______.
| A．it’s necessary for the students to be with experts |
| B．only group activities and sports can help the students |
| C．it’s better for the students who have mental problems to join others |
| D．teachers and parents can’t do anything about the students’ mental problems |
Rock and roll music developed in the United States in the early nineteen-fifties. It was based on the music called rhythm and blues that was performed by African American musicians.
Early rock and roll singers developed their own kinds of music. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan were the most popular rock and roll musicians in the early 1960’s. All were American. Then, in 1964, a new rock and roll group from England invaded America: the Beatles.
Some people say the Beatles’ music shook America like an earthquake. The Beatles changed rock and roll forever. Their early songs were influenced by American rock and roll musicians, including Chuck Berry. But the Beatles looked different and sounded different from any musical group before them.
The Beatles released their first album in the United States in 1964, when all of the top five records in America were by the Beatles. In 1967, they released an album called “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It was one of the first “concept” albums. That is, all the songs were linked by a common story or idea.
The popularity of the Beatles led the way for more rock and roll bands from England to become popular in America. The Rolling Stones was the most important of these bands. The Rolling Stones is one of the few groups from the 1960’s that is still performing and recording today. In 1965, the group recorded one of its most famous songs, “Satisfaction”.
The musical instrument most linked to rock and roll is the guitar. Experts say Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential guitar players in rock and roll during the late 1960’s. His “Purple Haze” was liked by many people.
By the 1970’s, rock and roll music became known as rock music. It expanded into many new forms. For example, there was country rock, hard rock, acid rock, and heavy metal rock. Punk rock, jazz rock, and glitter rock.
In the middle 1970’s, experts say rock music regained some of the energy of early rock and roll. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band became popular with their album “Born to Run”. Springsteen’s music was like the lively rock and roll music of the early nineteen-sixties. Many of his songs were about social issues. He sang about the effects of unemployment and the war in Vietnam. The main topic of this passage is _______.
| A．the history of American music |
| B．the famous rock and roll groups |
| C．the new forms of rock and roll music |
| D．the development of rock and roll music |
Which of the following matches is NOT true?
| A．the Beatles — Chuck Berry |
| B．the Rolling Stones — Satisfaction |
| C．Jimi Hendrix — Purple Haze |
| D．Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run |
Whose songs were mainly about social problems like unemployment and war?
| A．Elvis Presley’s. | B．Bob Dylan’s. |
| C．Jimi Hendrix’s. | D．Springsteen’s. |
From the passage, we can know that _______.
| A．one of the Rolling Stones’ albums was called “concept” |
| B．rock and roll music had many different forms at the beginning |
| C．rock and roll music probably came from African American music |
| D．the Beatles and the Rolling Stones became popular at the same time |
Zoos have been around for centuries — and they’ve changed a lot over the years. In the Middle Ages, wealthy people kept animals in their gardens. Public animal parks appeared in European cities in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Philadelphia Zoo, the first in the United States, opened in 1874.
Until a few decades (十年) ago, most zoos were organized by creatures — monkeys in one area, cats in another, birds somewhere else, just like museum collections. In recent years, zoos have instead begun grouping animals that would normally interact (互相作用) in the wild. Moreover, instead of closing animals behind bars, designers are creating landscapes like the environments in which these creatures would naturally be found. Nearby signs provide information about the animals and their habitats in parts of the world where they normally live.
The Denver Zoo’s new Predator Ridge exhibit, for example, aims to teach visitors about Africa. Eight acres of land provide homes for 14 animal species, including lions, porcupines, cranes, and wild dogs. Plants from the region grow alongside African-like landform. Ten-foot-tall mounds (土墩) give lions a place from which to survey their surroundings, just as they would do in the wild.
Landscape design makes visitors to the Denver Zoo’s Predator Ridge exhibit feel like they’re really in Africa.
Animals in Predator Ridge can’t actually be mixed with one another, for safety reasons. But hidden deep channels and other smart features allow visitors to see all the animals at once. Different species can see each other too.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Protection of zoo animals. |
| B．Changes of zoos over the time. |
| C．The safety problem of zoos. |
| D．The living habits of zoo animals. |
In the Denver Zoo ten-foot-tall mounds are built to _____.
| A．protect the safety of visitors |
| B．separate lions from other animals |
| C．create a natural environment for lions |
| D．offer visitors a better view of lions |
The underlined part “the region” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to _____.
| A．Africa | B．the Predator Ridge exhibit |
| C．the Denver Zoo | D．the ten-foot-tall mounds |
We can learn from the passage that _____.
| A．the earliest zoos were probably rich people’s gardens |
| B．the Philadelphia Zoo is the first zoo in the world |
| C．the new Predator Ridge exhibit is held in Africa |
| D．more animals will be kept in zoos in the future |