More and more English-educated Chinese Singaporean parents are realizing the importance for their children to be not only good at the all-important English language, but also at Chinese. China has become a great political and economic superpower and they want their children to become bilingual.
It is common knowledge that, to master any language, especially one’s mother tongue, one must begin from childhood. But there are challenges and barriers for children of English-speak ing homes to succeed in their journey towards bilingualism.
Take my family as an example. While my wife and I are products of English education, we had some foundation (基础) in Chinese which we kept up in our working life. But the language of communication in our home is mainly English.
We are glad that our three children had between 8 and 11 years’Chinese schooling before switching over to English schools. Their foundation in Chinese has become an advantage in their adult life. They can hold their own in the spoken language, but would find it hard to write a business letter in Chinese for lack of usage.
We have a grandson who will be two years old shortly. His parents have given my wife and I the unenviable task of making him bilingual. It is a very tough assignment, as we are with him only a couple of hours on most days. For the rest of the time, he is being surrounded by English sounds by his busy parents.
Fortunately, our perseverance is paying off. After eight months, he has been used to hearing Chinese sounds, and even he can now quite comfortably identify common everyday objects in Chinese. Why is it becoming necessary for some Chinese Singaporean children to learn Chinese?
| A．Because most of the Singaporeans come from China. |
| B．Because their parents are missing their motherland. |
| C．Because China has become a great political and economic superpower. |
| D．Because Chinese is the official language in the UN. |
The underlined word “bilingual”in Paragraph 1 probably means _______ .
| A．a person who knows English |
| B．a person who knows Chinese |
| C．a person who knows only one language |
| D．a person who knows two languages |
What do we know about the author and his children?
| A．He lives in China now. |
| B．His children hate learning English. |
| C．He usually speaks Engliah at home. |
| D．His three children master Chinese very much. |
The author uses the example of teaching his grandson mainly to prove that _______ .
| A．there are challenges for children of English-speaking homes to learn Chinese |
| B．his foundation in Chinese is a big advantage in teaching his grandson |
| C．he is quite good at teaching small children Chinese |
| D．learning Chinese is very popular in Singapore |
We learn from the passage that _______ .
| A．all the children in Singapore need to learn Chinese |
| B．understanding Chinese is becoming an advantage in Singapore |
| C．the author’s children know nothing about Cshinese |
| D．the author feels it easy to teach others Chinese |
Seafood buffet(自助餐)
Treat your mother to a buffet lunch featuring an array of seafood at Days Hotel & Suites Beijing. There are oysters and sashimi, as well as an on-site grill of various meat and seafood, plus dumplings. Other selections are savory soup and delicate dessert. Your mother will receive a hand-made festival gift. 11:30 am, MAY 13TH. 6773-1234 Ext 3930.
Sunday buffet
Cafe 99 at Regent Beijing offers a sumptuous Sunday buffet with caviar and free flow of champagne and wines on Mother’s Day, May 13.11:30 am-3 pm. 8522-1789.
Shaanxi style
Chefs from Shaanxi Province treat customers to authentic local noodles at the Regal Palace Chinese Restaurant, Days & Suites Beijing, including Qishan noodles with spicy and sour pork sauce, oil-sprayed noodles, besides based cakes with pork stuffing, and mutton soup with steamed buns. 8778-9888 Ext 262.
Da Zhai Men
Traditional Chinese architecture, performances and popular Chinese foods. Daily 11 am- 2 pm, 5 pm-11pm. Guoxing Jiayuan, Shouti Nanlu, Xicheng District. 8835-6687.
Da Zhai Men
Traditional Chinese architecture, performances and popular Chinese foods. Daily 11 am-2pm, 5pm-11pm. Guoxing Jiayuam, Shouti Nanlu,, Xicheng District. 8835-6687.
Mughal’s Beijing Restaurant
Classic curry dishes and many other famous Pakistani/Xinjiang halal dishes(English menu). Lunch buffet every working day for 38 yuan per person. Live dance performances every day (starting at 7:30 pm). There is a big open-air terrace. Daily 11 am-midnight, Rm 5188, 5th Floor, 3.3 Fashion Plaza, 33 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District. 5136-5575.
Brunch(早午餐)
Pay tribute to Mom with a brunch fest at the Kerry Center Hotel. Complimentary chocolates, flowers and a glass of champagne add to the festive environment, Starting at 11:30 am, Sunday May 13.6561-8833 Ext 40.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You can enjoy seafood buffet in Kerry Center Hotel on May 13th. |
| B．Da Zhai Men offers performances and popular Chinese foods 9 hours daily. |
| C．Having lunch buffet in Mughal’s Beijing Restaurant cost 38 yuan person on weekends |
| D．Cafe 99 at Regent Beijing offers free chocolates and flowers on Mother’s Day. |
This passage is mainly about____.
| A．restaurants | B．performances | C．food | D．travel |
Which of the following is NOT prepared for Mothers’ Day?
| A．Seafood buffet. | B．Sunday buffet. |
| C．Brunch. | D．Mughal’s Beijing Restaurant. |
Where can you eat food while enjoying a lot of performances?
| A．At Days Hotel & Suites Beijing. |
| B．At the Regal Palace Chinese Restaurant. |
| C．In Da Zhai Men. |
| D．At the Kerry Center Hotel. |
Electricity, like clean water, is a resource that’s often taken for granted. But last summer, when blackouts struck much of the northeastern US, Ontario and Rome, consumers on two continents were given a painful reminder of just how easily broken electricity supplies can be. The massive disorder stranded (使陷入困境)commuters, stopped freezers, shut down businesses and refocused attention on where most of the planet’s power comes from：oil-and-gas-fired generators and nuclear plants, These sources not only pollute the environment but also make many consumers feel unacceptable health risks.
Companies are trying to offer an alternative, clean energy from renewable resources that’s plentiful and portable. Lifton’s Medis Technologies, as well as companies like Hydrogenics and Nanosys, is tapping into fuel cells and dolor panels to give people power whenever and wherever they want it, free from dependence on local grids(电网).
The search for alternative energy is nothing new, but the current trend of innovators is focusing on the goal of making clean and sustainable power a mainstream commodity. For example, the fuel cell, which produces electricity from the chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, has been around for about 150 years, though its commercial development did not begin until the 1960s and then only as part of NASA spacecraft. Today this technology is coming down to Earth in places like Tokyo; in nine European cities, from Stockholm to Porto, each operating three hydrogen-fuel-cell buses; and in Iceland, which is trying to create the first fuel free hydrogen economy by 2030.
When hydrogen and oxygen molecules(分子)combine, the reaction produces heat and water. Fuel cells use this reaction to generate electricity. With the cell phone and gadget(小机件)market in mind, Medis has developed a fuel cell with cheap components that produces little heat and effortlessly reduces waste water without turning to energy consuming pumps.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The future of alternative energy |
| B．How the fuel cells works |
| C．People’s search for alternative energy |
| D．The damage done by the blackout last summer. |
What can we know about the fuel cell?
| A．Its commercial use began in the 1960s. |
| B．Today it’s being used in almost every corner of the world. |
| C．It has been in widespread used for about 150 years. |
| D．It supplies electricity to make the combination of oxygen and hydrogen possible. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Lifton’s Medis Technologies is tapping into fuel cells and solar panels. |
| B．The fuel cell has been around for about 150 years. |
| C．The fuel cell’s commercial development did not begin until the 1960s. |
| D．When hydrogen and oxygen molecules combine, the reaction produces o2 and H2O. |
The underlined word “blackouts” in the 1 st paragraph means_____.
| A．power failure | B．the delivering of electricity |
| C．the power of electricity | D．power station |
Brand is often regarded as the creation of western advertisement industry. However, the earliest “brand” could be traced back to the early civilization in China and Egypt. Earthenware(陶器)made in China thousands of years ago had signs or symbols of pottery makers, and domestic animals branded with marks could also be seen on wall paintings of ancient Egypt. These might be the first “brand” in history.
Time passes and the situation has changed. Nowadays Americans have “Cadillac”, Japanese have “Toyota”, Cermans have “Mercedes-Benz”, and they are all proud of the big brands they own. Chinese national brands are pale in comparison to their global counterparts. It is a reality which we cannot deny and have to face. With the globalization of brands and the internationalization of global competition, foreign brands are making constant efforts in attacking the Chinese market. Under the circumstances, the question that we must ask is：How can Chinese brands be ready for the challenge posed by foreign brands?
Many Chinese enterprises are single-minded in getting the attention of the international market and going into metropolises(大城市). Successful though they seem, they act ill-advisedly. We should be aware that it is the home market, especially the rural market with a population of 900 million people that provides the real development opportunity for Chinese national brands. That is why many powerful foreign brands are trying, with every possible means, to develop the Chinese rural market.
Quality is the life of a brand and consumers always choose products with first-class quality. The quality of Chinese products is very unstable so that it seriously affects the establishment of Chinese brands. Therefore, for those national brands determined to challenge foreign brands, the top task is to improve product quality. It must be clearly understood that, for a consumer who has bought a product, defects in 1% of your products mean 100% loss. Only if we create products with quality better than that of foreign brands can national brands be successful in competition. What is the question that we have to ask in face of foreign brands?
| A．How to run a company in foreign countries. |
| B．How to stay in harmony with the foreign brands. |
| C．How to catch up with the foreign company in service and price. |
| D．How to compete against the foreign brands. |
Which of the following would the author agree with?
| A．Quality is the most important element for a brand. |
| B．China’s international market is fully feveloped. |
| C．China’s products are matchless in the international market. |
| D．China’s goods are always of bad quality. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Metropolitan areas are what many Chinese enterprises focus on. |
| B．Pottery made in ancient China had signs or symbols of the makers. |
| C．The top target of foreign enterprises in China has been the rural market. |
| D．Chinese enterprises should try to get into the home market. |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．There’s no need for foreign brands to make constant efforts to compete with Chinese brands. |
| B．Ancient Chinese and Egyptians knew how to mark or symbolize their works. |
| C．Chinese enterprises can hardly build big brands people trust due to quality problems. |
| D．Chinese brands can only be successful in domestic market. |
Are you single and dreaming of an exciting voyage vacation, but unsure of the next step? You’re not alone! Many single travelers wonder which voyage will have the most singles on board, how they’ll meet other singles, what the voyage will cost and whether they’ll enjoy themselves.
Our hosted singles voyage is ideal for singles of all ages. No other form of travel affords as many opportunities to meet people and make friends. In fact, our Singles Division can help you find a singles voyage on a ship that’s just right for you and make sure you meet many other singles on board.
We’ve scheduled singles voyage on sailings throughout 2005, to all of the world’s greatest destinations. And we’ve selected popular itineraries(旅行路线)on large, newer ships for different audiences, so you can find one that suits your tastes.
If you’re looking for a roommate to cut costs, our Match Program can pair you with a samesex single in one stateroom(on hosted sailings only),enabling us to offer you the same perperson pricing that couples receive. We guarantee to find you a roommate, whenever you signup before the cutoff date. If we don’t, you only need pay the perperson, doubleoccupancy rate. If you prefer the privacy of your own stateroom, the single supplement rates will apply.
Either way, we’ll provide our own onboard host to organize singles cocktail parties, mixers, games, singlemingle dining and more. Once you’ve booked your voyage, we’ll also give you private access to our singles chat site where you can get to know other singles before you depart.
We expect our staterooms on these sailings will fill quickly, so please book early to avoid disappointment. To get started, click on any singles voyage in the calendar to the left. Hope to see you onboard!
Note: If you can’t take advantage of one of our hosted singles cruises but still wish to travel as a single, click here for more information.The voyage which is strongly recommended in the text is for________
| A．young singles |
| B．singles of all ages who want to meet people and make friend |
| C．single travelers |
| D．singles who intend to go to the world’s greatest destinations |
What can Match Program do for travelers according to the text?
| A．To match a single man with a proper woman. |
| B．To match a single woman with a proper man. |
| C．To have a match between samesex singles in one room. |
| D．To pair a willing person with a samesex single in one room. |
Which activity is NOT included in the voyage?
| A．Having singles cocktail parties. |
| B．Having private access to our singles chat site. |
| C．Mixers, games, singlemingle dining etc. |
| D．Finding a roommate. |
The text probably comes from_____________.
| A．a guide book |
| B．an ad on newspaper |
| C．a website |
| D．a magazine |
Vitamin E supplements(补充品)，which millions take in the hope of longer, healthier lives, may do more harm than good, researchers reported on Wednesday.
In fact, people taking high doses(剂量)of vitamin E may in some cases be more likely to die earlier, although the reasons are not clear, said Dr. Edgar Miller of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study.“I think people take vitamin E because they think it is going to make you live longer, but this(study)doesn’t support that.”Miller told reporters.
Miller and colleagues reanalyzed 19 studies of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004. The tests involved more than 136,000 mostly elderly patients in North America, Europe and China. People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate during the study, which lasted three years, than people who did not take supplements, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association.“It’s about a 5 percent increased risk at 45 years in the tests combined together，”Miller said.“That doesn’t sound like a lot but if you apply it to 25 percent of the (U.S.)adult population taking vitamin E, that is significant.”
Miller, whose findings are also being published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine, said twothirds of people who take vitamin E supplements take 400 IU or more.“We don’t think that people need to take vitamin E supplements, which they can get enough from the diet,”he said. Nuts, oils, whole grains and green leafy vegetables are all rich in vitamin E. People take vitamin E supplements, hoping that________.
| A．they can lose weight easily |
| B．they may live a longer and healthier life |
| C．they can get more and more beautiful |
| D．they no longer need any medicine |
The following statements can give us information about Miller EXCEPT_________.
| A．Miller and his team based their research on 19 cases of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004 |
| B．Miller thinks it unnecessary for people to take vitamin E supplements |
| C．Miller supposes it impossible for people to get enough vitamin E from their diets |
| D．Miller played an important role in the tests conducted by the researchers |
Which of the following contains rich vitamin E?
| A．Nuts. |
| B．Whole grains. |
| C．Green leafy vegetables. |
| D．All of the above. |
What is this text mainly about?
| A．It is reported in a study that vitamin E may do more harm than good to people to live longer and get healthier. |
| B．Dr.Edgar Miller and his colleagues studied many cases of vitamin E and health. |
| C．Dr.Edgar Miller advises that people should not depend on vitamin E supplements for longer and healthier lives. |
| D．People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate than people who did not take supplements. |