LONDON (Reuters) — Quiet please — Britain’ s Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted. Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen’ s official Swan Marker from July 20—24.
“With the assistance of the Queen’s Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of the University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets (小天鹅) are also assessed for any signs of injury or disease,” Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count.
The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional skiffs while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets.
It may seem eccentric, but it is very important to the Queen, According to custom, Britain’ s sovereign owns all unmarked, mute swans in open water, but the Queen now exercises the right only on stretches of the Thames and its nearby tributaries.
In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were soughtafter for banquets and feasts.
This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from discarded fishing tackle (渔具).
It is also an important year because Queen Elizabeth has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames.
“Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience,” Buckingham Palace said. In medieval times,________.
A.swans were better protected than now |
B.a lot of swans were killed by dogs |
C.swans were a delicious dish on royal banquets |
D.common people could catch the swans |
We can infer from the passage that the process of counting the swans ________.
A.remains almost unchanged in the past years |
B.involves a lot of royal members |
C.sometimes lasts longer than before |
D.is always guarded by special soldiers |
This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden mainly want to find out________.
A.the exact number of swans and cygnets |
B.how a local school project is going on |
C.how much damage the swans and cygnets suffer |
D.how education and conservation are carried out along the Thames |
Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
A. Britain’ s Queen is concerned about swans.
B. Britain’ s Queen orders a count of swans.
C. An old tradition in Buckingham Palace.
D. Queen Elizabeth will count swans herself.
5.The underlined word “tributaries” can be best replaced by ________. A. districts
B. banks
C. trees
D. branches
Lots of students shop to reduce stress or just to kill time with their friends. Shopping to get rid of boredom or to escape from life’s pressures may lead to serious problems. When you start to shop out of control, you become a shopping addict.
Shopping addicts show signs that are similar to other addicts. Some students think that shopping, even as little as buying gifts for classmates, can make them feel better and forget their problems. Actually, it can make them feel worse, guilty, or even cause them to run into financial difficulties. Finding yourself in a financial struggle or deep in debt may harm your relationships with friends and parents.
Do you go shopping for just a few things and come home with your wallet empty? Do you always go shopping after an emotional trauma or when life feels tough(艰难的)? Do you regret later what you buy? Or do you buy things that you never use? Maybe your parents or friends have expressed disagreement that leads you to hide items or lie about prices.
Avoid any environment that may make you want to spend money. Never use credit cards. Form some other meaningful and beneficial hobbies. Exercise, yoga and hot baths generally may help you not want to shop. Take a drive through the country where there aren’t any stores. Have patience with yourself and your money, which can benefit you for the rest of your life.
60. According to the passage, shopping addicts ______.
are always rich people B. get well along with friends
C. may suffer financial difficulties D. all the above
61. The third paragraph mainly tells about ______.
ways to get rid of shopping addiction
the signs of shopping addicts
the danger of shopping addiction
why shopping addicts can’t stop shopping
62. The underlined word “trauma” probably means “______”.
hurt B. satisfaction C. enjoyment D. appreciation
63. The intended readers of the passage are ______.
teachers B. doctorsC. students D. education
第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
ROYAL HOTEL
invites applications for the following posts:
HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping Supervisor(主管人)
• Salary: $1,200 per month
•At least 2 years similar experience
•Female only
Housemaids
•Salary: $700 per month
•No experience required
Part-time posts for Housemaids only
LAUNDRY(洗衣)
Laundry Valet
•Salary: $700 per month
•Duties – to collect and deliver(递送) laundry parcels
•Shift(轮班) work required
Laundry Attendant
•Salary: $700 per month
•Male applicants only
•Shift work required
Preference will be given to people with some experience.
FOOD AND DRINKS
(for new 24-hour restaurant)
Head waiter
•Salary: $1,200 per month
•Experienced waiters can apply
Waiter/ Waiters
•Salary: $800 per month
•No experience needed
(Willing to work shifts)
Part-timers needed for permanent night shift 6 pm to 11 pm.
GENERAL
Car Driver
•Salary: $800 per month
•Clean driving record
•At least 1 year of experience
•Willing to work irregular hours
Pool Attendant
•Salary: $700 per month
•Must know life-saving technique
•Some related experience
Both posts for male only.
Interviews will be conducted at the Royal Hotel, East Room, 2nd Level on the 25th and 26th Nov. from 10:00 to 4:00 pm.
56. What work does a laundry valet do?
A. He washes the clothes.
B. He drives the laundry truck.
C. He collects and delivers bags of laundry.
D. He operates the machines in the laundry room.
57. Which posts can fresh school-leavers apply for?
A. Housekeeping supervisor and housemaid.
B. Housemaid and waiter.
C. Head waiter and waiter.
D. Laundry valet and laundry attendant.
58. Which of these jobs require shift work?
A. Housemaid and waiter.
B. Laundry valet and waiter.
C. Car driver and pool attendant.
D. Laundry attendant and pool attendant.
59. There are four people applying for pool attendant. If you are the interview, who do you think is most suitable for the post?
A. Mary, who likes swimming very much.
B. Jenny, who knows life-saving technique very well.
C. Tom, who has been a pool attendant for two years.
D. John, who expects to earn over $1000 every month.
While staying with a family, I found their teenage son, David, aged 16, didn’t share his true feelings with his parents. If his parents were present when I asked him how he felt about things, he would look down or away or say something unrelated such as, "Today, I will go out. "or "Okay, I guess. "However, when we were alone he would open up and tell me how he felt. For example, while sitting at the dinner table, I asked him how he felt about his history class and the teacher. He thought for a moment but said nothing. I thought he was afraid to answer in front of his parents, so later I asked him again in private. He said, "On a scale (级别) of 0-10, it is a big fat zero. He is the most boring teacher I have ever had. "I asked him why he didn’t tell me this earlier. He said it was because his parents didn’t want to hear that. They just wanted to hear that everything was wonderful and they always told him to stop complaining.
This made me think a lot. My belief is that children are born with the desire to share feelings. I also believe they are born with perfect emotional honesty. Unfortunately, such valuable things are disappearing gradually. It really is a great loss, which I believe, will negatively affect both the children’s ability to know about themselves and their success in future relationships.
I see the situation as a missed opportunity, an opportunity for parents to get closer to their children, an opportunity to understand their children and to help them feel understood; however, communication gaps (分歧) have been made. Parents are more interested in "correcting" their children’s ways of expressing themselves than in getting to know their children.
70. We can know from the passage that _________.
A. David is not good at talking B. David likes showing his true feelings in public
C. David hates his parents D. David dislikes his history teacher
71. According to the author, children who don’t show their true feelings ____________.
A. won’t succeed in their future careers
B. will not have good relationship with their parents
C. won’t have clear ideas of themselves
D. will have no difficulty getting along with others
72. The author thinks that parents should ____________.
A. stop complaining about their children
B. try to understand their children’s true feelings
C. find more ways to communicate with their children
D. correct their children’s ways of communication
A 14-year-old girl was attacked by a grey bear while competing in a bike race. She managed to whisper the word "bear" to her rescuer. The girl suffered serious head, neck and leg wounds and is now in a dangerous condition in hospital. The girl was taking part in a 24-hour race through Bicentennial Park in Alaska when she was attacked by the bear. Bicentennial Park is next to Chugach State Park where the wild animals live. The bear attacked the girl in a heavily wooded area at about 1:30 am, during the darkest part of the night. The girl called emergency services but she was unable to communicate. Another rider Peter Basinger found her sitting dazed (神志不清的) on the ground. He told the Anchorage Daily Newsshe managed to say the word "bear" when he stopped to help. Her helmet (头盔) had been ripped off (撞掉) in the attack and rolled into the woods. Mr. Basinger waited with the girl for about 20 minutes until doctors arrived. Armed police trekked (长途跋涉) 3km with doctors to pick up the girl. Animal expert Rick Sinnott said something must be done as soon as possible to prevent the bear from attacking people again. "It had to be extremely terrifying, "he said. Mr. Sinnott told the Anchorage Daily News that the bear could have been a mother. It hurt two runners on a nearby path two weeks ago. He also said that the girl was lucky to have been wearing a bike helmet because the bear had bitten her head.
66. When did the accident happen?
A. Late in the morning. B. Early in the afternoon.
C. In the middle of the day. D. In the middle of the night.
67.When the girl was attacked, she was __________.
A. waiting for Peter Basinger B. following a mother bear
C. competing in a 24-hour race D. riding in Chugach State Park
68. Mr. Sinnott said the girl was lucky because _________.
A. she was then in a heavily wooded area B. she was then wearing a bike helmet
C. she didn’t get hurt badly D. she was rescued by another rider
69. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Girl Attacked by Bear during Bike RaceB. Watch out for Mother Bears
C. Stop Bike Races in ParksD. Do Remember to Wear Bike Helmet
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,满分40分)
Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure, but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's unusual that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence.
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant(经常的) practice will help you succeed.
56. What's the best title for the passage?
A. How to Speak to Foreigners B. How to Study English Well
C. How to Organize the Idea in English D. Practise Speaking English All the Time
57. Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English fluently because ________
A. they seldom meet foreigners B. they seldom practise speaking English
C. they had no chance to speak English
D. they think it's enough to master the basic language structure only
58. So many Chinese students are afraid of speaking to foreigners because _____.
A. they are afraid they can't understand foreigners
B. they don't think their English is poor
C. they worry about making mistakes in their speaking
D. they didn't like speaking to foreigners
59. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking.
B. If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English.
C. If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well.
D. Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes.
60. In the last paragraph, the expression "get rid of" means_______.
A. throw away B. free oneself from C. give up D. do with