The news report that night was about a famine(饥荒) in Ethiopia. The pictures were of people who were so thin that they looked like beings from another planet. The camera(摄像机) focused(聚焦 ) on one man so that he looked directly at me, sitting in my comfortable living room. All around was the sound of death.
It was clear that the world had not noticed this until now. You could hear the sadness in the voice of the reporter, Michael Buerk. At the end of the report he was silent. Paula started crying, and then rushed upstairs to check our baby, Fifi, who was sleeping peacefully.
I kept the news' pictures in my mind. What could I do? I was only a pop singer and by now not a very successful pop singer. All I could do was to make records which no one bought. But I would do that. I
would give all the profits(利润) of the next Rats(the name of the music group he was in) record to Oxfam, an organization in Britain which helps poor people around the world. What good would that do? It would only be a little money but it was more than I could give just from my bank account. Maybe some people would buy it because the profits were for Oxfam. And I would be protesting about this disaster(灾难). But that was not enough. What do we Learn about the writer from the text?
| A．He felt really bad because the news report made him think of his own hard life. |
| B．After he saw a news report on TV about the famine in Ethiopia, he decided that he had to do something about the problem. |
| C．His ideas on how to collect money for the people in Ethiopia were very successful. |
| D．He wanted to do nothing but be a famous singer. |
Which paragraph describes(描写) what he thought about after watching the news?
| A．Paragraph l. |
| B．Paragraph 2. |
| C．Paragraph 3. |
| D．None. |
The writer wished that ____ .
| A．he would be a very successful pop singer if he could have sold all his records |
| B．he would rather give all his money from his bank account than the little money made by making new records |
| C．perhaps people would be interested in his records because they knew that the money they paid for them would go to Oxfam. |
| D．he would make records which no one bought |
Mr. Samson was a newspaper editor in Boston, America. On the night of August 28, 1988, when he was on night duty, he dreamed that a volcano (火山) near the Island of Java erupted (爆发) , and that the local people were buried under lava (熔岩).
When he woke up from the bad dream with a start, he thought it was very interesting material, so he wrote it down on a piece of paper, left it on the desk and went home. Early in the morning, the editor-in-chief came to work and saw the paper. He took it for the latest news that something important had happened last night and published it immediately. Only later did he find out it was just about what Mr. Samson had seen in his dream. But it was all too late because the newspaper had already been delivered (传送).And it caused a great panic.
In no time the editors met to discuss the serious problem. They finally decided to make an apology in the newspaper. Just at that time word came that a volcano on a small Island between Java and Sumatra did erupt. The eruption made the small island lose two thirds of its area, and the seismic sea waves caused tragedy (悲剧) in human.The volcano on a small island between Java and Sumatra erupted _______.
| A．on the night of August 28, 1988. |
| B．on the morning of August 28,1988. |
| C．on the night of August 29, 1988. |
| D．on the morning of August 29,1988 |
The editor in the newspaper office ______.
| A．didn’t make an apology in the newspaper |
| B．took back all the newspaper |
| C．made an apology to the readers in the newspaper. |
| D．didn’t realize the serious problem |
From the passage we learn that ______.
| A．the eruption did little damage to the small island |
| B．Mr.Samson was an expert in volcanos |
| C．the newspaper would be more popular |
| D．Mr. Samson would lose his job for the news |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Bad News |
| B．News Leading to a Tragedy(悲剧) |
| C．Seeing is Believing |
| D．Dream News Became True |
Miss Wu is a young teacher of English in China. She loves teaching very much. One day when she was giving an English lesson, she found the headmaster sitting at the back of the classroom. After class, the headmaster told her that he came to her class to find out how much English and how much Chinese she was using. The result was about half English and half Chinese. She was using Chinese when she gave instructions to her students and when she wanted to get feedback (反馈） from her students. The headmaster told her that she should use more English in her class.
Miss Wu made a plan like this:
·talk with an Englishman every Sunday for two hours to learn more English expressions;
·write some English expressions on cards. These cards not only remind her to use English in class, but also help her remember some expressions;
·have a five-minute talk in English with students before class.
She used body language to help her if students could not understand.
One year later, she found she could use English freely in class. Miss Wu ______.
| A．has a poor memory | B．is a teacher of Chinese |
| C．loves her job | D．is angry with the headmaster |
The headmaster came to Miss Wu’s class to ______.
| A．write some English expressions on cards |
| B．help her improve her English teaching |
| C．give instructions to the students |
| D．get feedback from the students |
After the headmaster left, Miss Wu realized that she should _____ in her class.
| A．use more Chinese | B．use more English |
| C．use half English and half Chinese | D．use body language |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Use cards in English teaching |
| B．Talk with English-speaking people |
| C．Speak more English in English class |
| D．Learn more English expressions |
In England, we look forward to our birthdays for 364 days a year!
We invite special people to celebrate it with us.
The Presents
Presents are opened as soon as the children are awake. They can’t wait for the birthday cake later in the day!
The Cards
Friends and family send birthday cards. Sending birthday cards is a custom (风俗) that began in England about 100 years ago.
The Party
The birthday child will have a party to which friends and family are invited. Visitors to the party bring presents for the birthday child. The children play games such as musical chairs and pass the parcel (包裹).
The Cake
The birthday cake is decorated on a theme (主题). A candle for each year is lit and placed on top and the child blows out the candles making a wish. We don’t put objects inside the cake as stated on many websites.
The Bumps (碰撞)
It used to be traditional for the birthday child to have the bumps. Friends would hold the child by the legs and under the arms and lift the child up and down bumping them gently on the ground. The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck. As this can be dangerous, clapping (拍手) is often done instead.
The Sweets
Some children do take sweets to school to share with their classmates on their birthdays. In England, the birthday present is opened _____.
| A．before the child wakes up |
| B．immediately after the child wakes up |
| C．as soon as the child gets up |
| D．during the birthday party |
If Alice is celebrating her 7th birthday, how many bumps will she be given?
| A．Six. | B．Seven. |
| C．Eight. | D．Nine. |
Which of the following facts about birthdays in England is NOT true?
| A．All the children will receive birthday cards on their birthdays. |
| B．Clapping is often done for the birthday child. |
| C．Objects meaning good luck are usually placed inside the birthday cake. |
| D．Nowadays children may share sweets with their classmates on their birthdays. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．How birthdays are celebrated in the world |
| B．Where to hold an English birthday party |
| C．What to send when invited to a child’s birthday |
| D．How English children celebrate their birthdays |
Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.
However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?
| A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents. |
| B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents. |
| C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed. |
| D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners. |
| B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports. |
| C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe. |
| D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country. |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities |
| B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia |
| C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems |
| D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities |
3D cinema has been around since the early 20th century, but Hollywood brought the technology back in 2007. Many thought it was just a trick to make more money. But then came Avatar, the first must-see movie in 3D.
But since Avatar, 3D cinema has struggled. In 2010, several 3D movies bombed at the box office. And by late 2010, some people said the technology was dead. Of course, this isn’t the first time Hollywood has struggled technology. Although sound was added to movies in the late 1920s, it took audience time to get used to the new technology. But in the end, sound and color became the standard. James Cameron, director of Avatar, thinks we’re going through the same process with 3D.
Some day cinemas are charging too much for 3D movies. In the Us, seeing a 3D movie can cost up to $7.5 more than seeing it in 2D. Also, a recent study at California State University has found audience don’t actually enjoy movies in 3D any more than in 2D. Walter Murch, a famous movie editor, wrote in 2011 that human beings have no ability to process 3D images. Watching a 3D movie confuses our brain and this is why some people get headaches.
But James Cameron disagrees. In fact, he recently predicted that in five years all movies will be in 3D. And there are signs that 3D is fighting back. More 3D movies were put on the market in 2012 than ever before. The Lion King 3D recently made over $150 million at the box office, and Cameron’s Titanic 3D made even more.
Who knows what the future holds for 3D? Steven Spielberg recently said, “ I’m hoping 3D gets to a point where people don’t notice it because then it just becomes another tool and helps tell a story.”The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably means that in 2010, 3D movies ________.
| A．were not successful | B．became popular |
| C．developed quickly | D．were of poor quality |
The example of sound and color is used mainly to show that ______.
| A．Hollywood tends to absorb what is new |
| B．3D technology takes time to be accepted |
| C．Hollywood struggles with new technology |
| D．high technology helps to make better movies |
In Walter March’s opinion, 3D movies_______.
| A．bring movie makers great profits. |
| B．are more expensive than 2D movies. |
| C．do great harm to people’s health. |
| D．are unsuitable for people to watch. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Avatar was the first 3D movies. |
| B．3D cinema has existed for years. |
| C．Titanic 3D has made the most money. |
| D．2012 witnessed the coming of 3D’s time. |