Nuclear energy has always been controversial. But since the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan) last year the issue is back in the headlines. And the world is divided— some countries are planning more nuclear plants, while others have promised to shut theirs down.
After Fukushima, Germany decided to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Switzerland and Italy are also phasing out nuclear power. But France and the United States remain staunch supporters of atomic energy. In fact, almost 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. And in the US, the Obama administration said it “continues to support the expansion of nuclear power, despite the crisis in Japan.”
Nuclear supporters claim nuclear power can help the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gases. So, pro-nuclear countries argue that nuclear power allows them to generate energy without contributing to climate change. Britain’s chief scientific adviser (John Beddington) supports this view. He recently said that the world doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is also relatively cheap. Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power may be clean, but they’re expensive; and right now, they require a lot of investment. This higher cost of using “green energy” is usually passed onto the consumer. So, while many people may prefer their energy to come from a renewable source, not so many are prepared to pay higher energy bills. This is of particular concern while the world economy is in such bad shape.
The main argument against nuclear energy is that it isn’t safe. For a start, nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of, and remains toxic to humans for thousands of years. And even before Fukushima, there were several high-profile nuclear disasters. The most famous is probably the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in the Ukraine. The radiation from the meltdown spread all over Europe, affecting thousands.
The nuclear energy issue is very complex. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved anytime soon. As a Japanese commentator recently said, “it’s been a bad year for the ‘nuclear village’, but I don’t think they’re down and out yet.” The battle continues.Which of the following may NOT be the advantage of nuclear energy over other energy sources?
| A．Nuclear energy doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases. |
| B．Nuclear energy can help prevent the climate damage. |
| C．Nuclear energy is more environmental-friendly than other green energy sources. |
| D．Nuclear energy can save the consumers some money, compared to other renewable energies. |
What does the underlined word “this ” refer to in paragraph 4?
| A．The fact that many people prefer to use the green energy sources while unwilling to pay higher bill. |
| B．The cost of using renewable sources |
| C．The fact that the nuclear power is cheaper. |
| D．The investment of renewable energy sources |
In the 5th paragraph, the author takes the case of Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine to _______.
| A．convince the reader that nuclear waste is difficult to get rid of. |
| B．explain that nuclear waste may remain harmful to humans for thousands of years. |
| C．persuade the world not to use nuclear energy. |
| D．support the idea that nuclear energy is not safe. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．the Japanese commentator is positive about the future of nuclear energy. |
| B．the nuclear energy issue will be soon settled. |
| C．a battle will break out in the future. |
| D．Japan is considering to build a nuclear village in the future. |
What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To highlight the danger of using nuclear energy. |
| B．To introduce some serious nuclear disasters. |
| C．To show the argument between nuclear supporters and protesters. |
| D．To give some advice on how to use nuclear energy safely. |
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer.
Sports change with the season. People play different games in winter and summer.
Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities. The Arab use horses or camels in much of their daily life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example , has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person’s character(性格品质). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace（体面）.According to this passage we know that ________.
| A．people began to play about one hundred years ago |
| B．about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played |
| C．basketball has a long history than volleyball |
| D．not all the games have long history |
According to the passage, which of the following isn’t true?______
| A．Sports help to train a person’s character. |
| B．People swim only because there are a lot of rivers in their country. |
| C．People from different countries may not be able to understand each other before a game. |
| D．Sports and games can develop the friendship between people all over the world. |
The writer didn’t tell us in this passage that ______.
| A．basketball was invented in America |
| B．sports change with seasons |
| C．games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities |
| D．football is played all over the world |
In today’s world, English is the most wildly used language. It is our duty to learn English in the new situation of the reform and opening (改革开放) to the outside world. How can we master the English language ? I’d like to give you some good advice.
First, get interested in it. I enjoy listening to foreign friends talking when I was a child. At the same time I watched the English programme Follow Me on TV. From then on, I kept on learning English. The more I learned, the more progress I made.
Second, practice makes perfect. Many people study English very hard, but they are very shy to speak it in public, for they are afraid of making mistakes. Remember you have to make a mistake before you can correct it. A native English speaker makes mistakes sometimes, too.
Third, the beginners should be encouraged to pay attention to idioms. The English language has many idioms. For example, you should say “ He is as strong as a cow.” The writer wants to tell us ____________.
| A．the importance of learning English |
| B．the new situation of the reform and opening to the outside world |
| C．some good ideas on how to master English |
| D．the wide use of the English language |
If we want to learn English, we must first __________.
| A．show interest in it | B．enjoy listening to it |
| C．watch English programmes on TV | D．practice speaking it |
When we are learning English, ____________.
| A．remember the mistakes and correct them | B．try not to make any mistakes |
| C．avoid mistakes before making them | D．don’t be afraid of making mistakes |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 means “_______________.”
| A．Remember to make a mistake before you can correct it |
| B．You are sure to make a mistake before you can correct it |
| C．Remember you have to make a mistake and then correct it |
| D．You’ll make a mistake after you can correct it |
Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.
| Timetable |
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| Sunday 8:30---11:30 Personal（个人的） Inventions（发明） You can see many inventions by the students; you may also bring your own inventions. |
Monday 19:00---21:00 Space and Man Dr. Thomas West If you want to know more about the universe(宇宙). |
| Wednesday 19:30---21:00 Modern Medicine Mrs. Lucy Green Would you like to know medical science? |
Friday 18:30---21:00 Computer Science Mr. Harry Morison from Harvard University（哈佛大学） Learn to use Windows XP. |
You may have a chance to introduce your inventions（发明） on _________.
| A．Sunday | B．Monday | C．Wednesday | D．Friday |
The person who teaches Computer Science is from___________.
| A．Canada | B．Australia | C．New Zealand | D．America |
You may learn something about a disease(疾病) called SARS from __________.
| A．Dr. West | B．Mr. Morison | C．Mrs. Green | D．Mr. Thomas |
If you want to learn something about satellites(卫星), you can go to the class from______.
| A．8:30 to 11:30 on Sunday | B．19:00 to 21:00 on Monday |
| C．19:30 to 21:00 on Wednesday | D．18:30 to 21:00 on Friday |
Of all the things we eat and drink, water is the most important. Not all people realize this, but it is quite true. The human body can live without food for a long time, but two or three days without water usually result in death.
Many people do not understand how much water the human body needs, but many people do not drink enough, especially in the hot weather. Most people drink when they are thirsty but often need more water after exercises.
65 to 70 percent of the human body is water. Water is important in several different ways. Most people need five to seven liters（升） of water every day, but we needn’t drink this amount(量) because a lot comes from the food we have. If we don’t have enough water, however, we will feel tired and many become ill. Do you know what the best drink is? Yes, you are right. Cool water!When do we need more water?________
| A．In cold weather or after exercises. |
| B．In hot weather or after exercises. |
| C．Before breakfast, lunch and supper. |
| D．When we feel tired or become ill. |
How much water are there in the human body?_________
| A．About three fourths of the human body is water. |
| B．Nearly a half of the human body is water. |
| C．Less than a half of the human body is water. |
| D．Almost one fourth of the human body is water. |
Must most people drink five liters（升）of water every day?_______
| A．Yes, because water is the most important |
| B．No, because what we eat contains（包含）water |
| C．Yes, because we can’t live without water |
| D．No, because we are not thirsty |
Which of the following is not right?_________
| A．Cool water is the best drink. |
| B．Few people understand how much water the human body needs. |
| C．All the people don’t realize water is the most important. |
| D．When we feel tired or become ill, we never need any water. |
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚), and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare, I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together—and because of that, we didn’t say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway, which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk, even with help... Such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance. Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it—without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, not did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away for many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”.How did the man treat his father when he was young?
| A．He helped his father happily. | B．He never helped his father. |
| C．He helped his father, but not very happily. | D．He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
| A．didn’t work very hard | B．didn’t go to work from time to time |
| C．hated those who had good fortune | D．was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the underlined word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ____.
| A．anger | B．sadness | C．happiness | D．unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
| A．By subway. | B．By bus. | C．By wheelchair. | D．By bike |