Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.The story is about ________.
| A．why people love magic |
| B．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician |
| C．how fashionable magic is |
| D．what magic tricks are |
People love to watch magic because ________.
| A．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen |
| B．it arouses their curiosity |
| C．they can’t figure out the secret of magic |
| D．it is a centuries – old art |
Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was interested in magic when he was little. |
| B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest. |
| C．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation. |
| D．He became an amateur magician in his spare time. |
What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
| A．experienced |
| B．freshman |
| C．amateur |
| D．unskillful |
From the story we know that______.
| A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions. |
| B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show. |
| C．Liu Qian does street show to make money. |
| D．Liu Qian performs on the streets in order to increase his fame. |
Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen（氧气）that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway（摇摆）from side to side.
Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention?
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem (茎) and more leaves. According to the passage, which of the following is right?
| A．If there are no flowers, there will be no sweet smells. |
| B．Without plants, we can’t hear the wind. |
| C．We need plants not only for food and oxygen but also for their beauty. |
| D．We plant trees to watch the branches sway from side to side. |
In the experiment, the plants were________.
| A．of different kinds | B．Talked to in two different ways |
| C．both given love and attention | D．grown in the same place |
At the end of six months,________.
| A．one plant had longer roots than the other and had a thicker stem |
| B．one plant had longer roots while the other had a thicker stem |
| C．the plants were of the same size |
| D．one plant had a thicker stem while the other plant had more leaves |
The experiment has proved（证明） that________-.
| A．without plants people could not live |
| B．we should talk to plants and give them love |
| C．we should grow as many plants as possible |
| D．plants need plenty of water, sunshine and attention |
Many of us don't pay much attention to the importance of eye care. It is said that if you take care of your body, then you can surely be healthy. That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care. Natural eye care should be put in a number one place.
There are several causes leading to poor eyesight like not enough food, genes (基因) and aging (老化). Televisions, computers and reading are also the causes of having poor eyesight. If you happen to work in front of the computer, it is best to take a break every once in a while. Something dirty can cause redness and they will make you feel uncomfortable. It is bad for your eyes, too. If this happens, the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water. You must also try your best to protect your eyes from harmful things. For example, sunglasses are not just for fashion but they can also serve as a great way to protect your eyesight form UV rays.
Eating healthy foods will do good to your eyesight. Remember that vitamins A, C and E are good for eyes. Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins. And you should do eye exercises because exercise protects your eyesight, too. If a person exercises regularly (定期地) and eats the right kind of food, his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time.
All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes. Being happy all the time can be helpful to a person's eyesight, too. In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is._____ is the most important way to protect our eyes.
| A．Seeing the doctor | B．Taking medicine |
| C．Natural eye care | D．Being happy all the time |
All the following causes can lead to bad eyesight except _______.
| A．age | B．height | C．reading | D．computers |
What should you do if you have to work in front of the computer?
| A．Eat healthy foods. | B．Have a rest after working for a while. |
| C．Wear a pair of sunglasses. | D．Clean the eye by using cold water |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Ways of Being Happy | B．Ways of Eye Exercises |
| C．Ways of Eye Care | D．Ways of Being Healthy |
Saturday, June 16th
In the morning, we went camping along a path in Green Natural Park. We were happy because it was a sunny day. We were expecting an enjoyable two-day holiday. On the way, we kept singing and making jokes.
However, in the afternoon, when we finished our picnic at one o’clock, it was dark and windy. Soon, there was a shower. Unluckily, none of us brought an umbrella. We ran about but we could find no place to hide.
Twenty minutes passed and it was still raining, There were hours to go before we reached the campsite (野营地). It was even worse that our small compass (指南针) showed that we went to the wrong way. We had lost our way!
We had to make a quick decision as it was raining heavily. Chris said we could set up a tent to hide in, so Mary and Tom helped to set up the tent. Chris and I tried to make a fire to keep us warm. But we were unable to light the fire, as everything was wet. We dried ourselves, chatted and waited inside the tent. At about five o’clock, it stopped raining. We decided to give up the camping trip because all of us had been very tired.
This camping trip may not be very successful but we know each other better. And the most important thing I’ve learned from this trip is the importance of team spirit.The writer went camping in Green Natural Park .
| A．in June | B．for 2 days | C．for 4 hour | D．in the afternoon |
It was even worse that they .
| A．had no picnic | B．couldn’t light the fire |
| C．lost their way | D．couldn’t know each other |
Chris suggested that they should in the rain.
| A．set up a tent | B．reach the campsite |
| C．keep singing | D．find a place to hide |
Which of the following is NOT true？
| A．It was sunny in the morning. | B．None of them had an umbrella. |
| C．They gave up the camping at last. | D．They ran about to dry themselves. |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you .
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings and do not take any changes when crossing the road.
My next point is about litter. It is an offence to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put in your pocket and take it home, or put in a litter bin.
Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you .
Now, are there any questions?The main purpose of this speech would be to ________.
| A．inform people of the punishment for breaking laws |
| B．declare the laws of different kinds. |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．prepare people for international travel |
How many laws are there discussed in the speech?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Six | D．Five |
The underlined word "contact" in the seventh paragraph means ________.
| A．get in touch with | B．keep in touch with | C．join | D．report |
Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?
| A．A lawyer | B．A policeman | C．A teacher | D．A lawmaker |
If there’s one memory Anna wanted to keep from her experiences during the Second World War, it was her son, Andrzej. Anna, 89, lost touch with him when she was forced to leave her native Poland and sent to a labor camp in Austria more than 60 years ago. Now, 64, Andrzej hugged his mother at the air port, who had been waiting for him.
Andrzej searched for his mother for more than 50 years, almost giving up. But his mother made the first phone call. Unluckily, he wrote down his mother’s phone number wrong and spent another month trying to reach her again. When he did, the two talked regularly on the phone for two months to break down the language barrier. Anna can hardly speak Polish over the years and Andrzej doesn’t speak English.
After the war, Anna could not find her son and went to Italy, finally ending up in Great Britain, the US, then Canada 45 years ago. She used the Internet to track her son, making phone calls with no luck. Meanwhile Andrzej contacted the Polish Red Cross last year to help in his search.
At last, they locate each other at the same time. Andrzej will spend a month with his mother in Britain. Andrzej was about _______ years old when his mother left him for Austria 60 years ago.
| A．eight |
| B．six |
| C．four |
| D．two |
Where did they meet for the first time after 60 years separation?
| A．In Britain |
| B．In Italy |
| C．In Poland |
| D．In Canada |
Andrzej delayed a month to phone his mother because________.
| A．he had to learn English first |
| B．he put down a wrong number |
| C．he needed some time to prove the news |
| D．he just couldn’t believe the news at first |
The best title for the passage would be ________
| A．The story of Anna and her son Andrzej |
| B．The war separated the families for 60 years |
| C．Anna suffered a great deal from the war |
| D．Mother reunited with son after 60 years. |