Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January, 1942 (300 years after the death of Galileo) in Oxford, England. His parents’ house was in north London, but during the Second World War Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At eleven Stephen went to St Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford, his father’s old college. Stephen wanted to do Mathematics, although his father would have preferred Medicine. Mathematics was not available at University College, so he did Physics instead. After three years and not very much work he was awarded a First Class Honours degree in Natural Science.
Stephen then went on to Cambridge to do research in Cosmology, there being no one working in that area in Oxford at that time. His supervisor was Denis Sciama, although he had hoped to get Fred Hoyle who was working in Cambridge. After gaining his Ph. D. he first became a Research Fellow, and later on a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. After leaving the Institute of Astronomy in 1973 Stephen came to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and since 1979 has held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. The chair was founded in 1663 with money left in the will of the Reverend Henry Lucas, who had been the Member of Parliament for the University. It was first held by Isaac Barrow, and then in 1663 by Isaac Newton.
Professor Hawking has twelve honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982, and was made a Companion of Honour in 1989. He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences. Stephen W. Hawking went to the same college as ______ at his teenage.
| A．Galileo |
| B．his father |
| C．Isaac Barrow |
| D．Isaac Newton |
Which of the following shows the right order of what happened to Hawking?
a. He gained his Ph. D.
b. He went to Cambridge.
c. He was given a First Class Honours degree.
d. He began to hold the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.
e. He went to St Albans School.
A. e-c-b-a-d B. a-e-c-d-b
C. a-e-c-b-d D. c-b-d-e-a According to the passage, Stephen W. Hawking had never spent much time studying _____.
| A．Cosmology |
| B．Mathematics |
| C．Physics |
| D．Medicine |
Before Stephen W. Hawking went to Cambridge,_______ .
| A．there was no one studying Cosmology in England |
| B．there was no one studying Cosmology in Oxford |
| C．there were only a few scientists studying Cosmology in Oxford |
| D．Cosmology is widely studied in Britain |
“Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”
Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different 
answer from every
Man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers．Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experi
ence with them， others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them．Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for som
e time．For other couples， pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child， it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to th
at of father is a difficult task．Yet， unfortunately， few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this remobilization process．Although numerous books have been written about American mothers， only recently has literature focused on the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father‘s role， although difficult， is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother‘s role．The mother‘s role seems to require complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative adaptation; on the other hand， the fathers role is less demanding and immediate．However， even though we mentioned
the fact that growing number of women are working outside the home， the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.According to the author，being a father_________.
| A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men |
| B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters |
| C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy |
| D．means nothing but more responsibilities |
It is stated in the passage that__________.
| A．some parents are not prepared to have a child |
| B．young couples do not like children at all |
| C．do not have much time to take care of their children |
| D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child |
The transition to the mother‘s role requires that the wife__________.
| A．change her lifestyle in a highly innovative way |
| B．make a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation |
| C．stay at home to take care of the baby |
| D．help her husband in his remobilization process |
Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles， fathers， compared with mothers， ___________.
| A．have to shoulder more burdens |
| B．have to make more difficult adaptations |
| C．have an easier job to do |
| D．can usually do a better job |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other b
ecomes unhappy. This arises form the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix heir attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually 
dissatisfied. by their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing （批评）and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation（模仿）. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. Of they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a work to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many 
will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad bait and bee pleased with is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and other. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact（接触）with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and
Sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes missed up in their quarrels.People who are unhappy.
| A．always consider things differently from others |
| B．usually are affected by the results of certain things |
C．usually misu nderstand what others think or say |
| D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things |
The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “”.
| A．have a good taste with social life | B．make others unhappy |
| C．tend so scold others openly | D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
We can conclude from the passage that.
| A．we should pity all such unhappy people |
| B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons |
Pete took his seat this day on his usual bench in Union Square．Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years Pete had taken this same seat exactly at one o'clock, and each time the same pleasant thing had happened．But this time Pete had come here more from habit than from hunger．Certainly today Pete was not hungry．Two rich old ladies gave him a Thanksgiving dinner of everything he could eat．
Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move．The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst．The November breeze and the first light fall of snow felt cool and pleasant to his face．He happened to look to the left and there in the distance he saw the old Gentleman coming toward him．He wanted to get up and run, but he was so full of food he stayed right there．Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years, the Old Gentleman had come there, found Pete on this same bench, and then taken him to a restaurant and bought him a Thanksgiving dinner．It was a kind of tradition which the Old Gentleman, who had no family and lived alone, had tried to continue．
"How do you do' "said the Old Gentleman．" Glad to see that the changes of another year have permitted you to move in health through this beautiful world．"
Each time the Old Gentleman had said exactly this same thin? It was part of the tradition．Pete, too, began to feel as though he himself was now a part of the tradition, and he therefore did not have the courage to tell the old man that he had already eaten．This dinner seemed to mean so much to the Old Gentleman.
"Thank you, sir, " said Pete at last. “I’ll go with you gladly. I’m very hungry, sir.” Together the Old Gentleman and Pete walked south to the same restaurant where each year Pete had his Thanksgiving dinner. The Old Gentleman seemed pleased and happy. When the waiter brought dish after dish of food to Pete, the Old Gentlenman sat quietly and smiled．Under the circumstances, Pete had to eat．It was part of the tradition, and so he ate like a hero, although when he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick．At last Pete leaned back with the battle won．
" Thank you, sir, " he said, with some effort, " for a fine dinner．"
They parted as they did each year at the door, the Old Gentlemen going south, Pete north．
Around the corner, Pete stopped for a moment, felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and then fell to the sidewalk unconscious．A little time later an ambulance came．In the hospital they discovered that he had had an attack of indigestion （消化不良）.
An hour later, another ambulance brought the Old Gentleman to the same hospital．At first they thought it was also indigestion but later one of the nurses said, "That nice old gentleman over there—you wouldn't think that it was a case of hunger．"Where did Pete and the Old Gentleman meet every Thanksgiving Day?
| A．In the restaurant． |
| B．In Union Square． |
| C．At the Old Gentleman's house． |
| D．At the hospital． |
Which of the following sentences in the passage doesn't show Pete was full?
| A．Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move． |
| B．The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst． |
C．Glad to see that the changes of another year have  permitted you to move in health through this beautiful world． |
| D．When he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick． |
The underlined sentence "I'm very hungry, sir．" in Paragraph 5 implies that .
A．Pete didn't have the heart to refuse the offer |
| B．Pete was so greedy that he wanted to have another dinner |
| C．Pete was suffering from hunger |
| D．Pete enjoyed having the Thanksgiving dinner for free |
Which of the following words can best describe the Old Gentleman?
| A．Self-centred. | B．Mosdest. |
| C．Stubborn． | D．Generous |
Cities need to put efforts to deal w
ith pollution and clear the air.
Chinese cities will need to put efforts to clear up the sky when a new department to improve regional air quality is set up by 2015, according to the latest plan released by the State Council．
Besides the existing pollution control program for S02, regional emission caps （区域排放上限） for other certain chemicals will be established in the three key air polluting areas— rhe Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region．Coal-consumption caps will also be tried out in some areas, according to the plan．
The plan is aimed at dealing with regional air pollution—such as acid rain and smog—which have become increasingly obvious in China in recent years and caused a severe threat to people's health, Zhang Lijun, vice-minister of environmental protection, said in an interview on Monday.
The air quality in a city affects the regions nearby because pollutants （污染物）can travel through the atmosphere, said Chai Fahe, vice-direc
tor of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences．
“So efforts to reduce air pollution in a single city, targeting a certain pollutant w
ill not oe enough," Chai said．
Zhang said the country's major industrial districts—the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—have recorded more than 100 misty days annually in recent years．
These three regions, home to at least 200 millio
n people, occupy only 6．3 percent of the country's area but consume 40 percent of the country's coal and produce half of its steel, according to official figures．
Studies also show that the visibility （能见度） in eastern regions of China has dropped by 7 to 15 km compared to that in the early 1960s, as a result of air pollution．
Liaoning province, the Shandong Peninsula, Wuhan in Hubei province and its surrounding area, the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan region in Hunan province, the Chengdu-Chongqing region, and the western coast of the Taiwan Straits are also listed as areas to carry out such regional air pollution control programs, according to the plan．
The new plan also requires an improved air quality system, which will measure the pollution levels．"The current system, which only measures some major pollutants, cannot reflect the true picture．" said Chai．It will not be enough to reduce air pollution in a single city because ______.
A．air pollution has b een becoming more and more serious in recent years |
| B．air pollution like acid rain and smog is threatening people's health |
| C．air pollutants in a city can travel in the sky and affect nearby areas |
| D．air pollutants stay in fixed places over the cities |
Suppose the visibility in eastern regions of China was 130 km in the early 1960s, the visibility there nowadays is.
| A．123 to 115 km |
| B．137 to 145 km |
| C．123 to 145 km |
| D．115 to 137 km |
The main purpose of the passage is.
| A．to inform readers of the damage caused by air pollution |
| B．to introduce the new plan to control air pollution |
| C．to provide official figures of air pollution levels |
| D．to point out the regions affected by air pollution |
What does the underlined phrase "the true picture" in the last paragraph mean?
| A．The major pollutants． |
| B．The key polluted areas． |
| C．The major polluted cities． |
| D．The pollution levels． |
Channel Islands tourist guide
Friendly communities, a rough coastline and gentle, untouched scenery make the islands ideal for anyone who wants to ‘get out there’ and explore on foot or by bike.
England tourist guide
England is the largest country in Britain, and home to the larges
t city in Europe, 600 miles of beautiful coastline, and a population almost three times that of Australia.
Isle of Man tourist guide
A country rich in natural history, beautiful scenery and first-class historical sites with attractions for all age groups and interests.
London tourist guide
London needs little introduction. This lively, multi-cultural capital is a world leading destination city．London is full of history, heritage and culture, yet one of the most fast-moving, cosmopolitan(世界性的) cities on the planet．
Northern Ireland tourist guide
Exciting cities with shopping, nightlife and festivals, outdoor activities, wonderful food and untouched peaceful and private places where you can relax．
Scotland tourist guide
Scotland is everything you imagine – whisky, golf and wealth of castles and historic sites. The Highlands area is one of the last wildernesses in Europe.
Wales tourist guide
Wales is different from other parts of Britain and just 2 hours from Heathrow Airport. With 400 castles, 
yet only one official motorway, you have to take things at a gentle pace.What is special about England?
| A．It is the largest country in Europe． |
| B．It enjoys a beautiful coastline of 600 miles． |
| C．It is one of the last wildernesses in Europe． |
| D．It has a large population similar to Australia． |
If you want to visit castles, you are supposed to go to _______．
| A．Channel Islands and Isle of Man | B．Isle of Man and London |
| C．Northern Ireland and Wales | D．Wales and Scotland |
The passage can be classified as.
| A．an advertisement | B．a geography article |
| C．a report | D．a diary |