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 whatsoever. |
| 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. |
The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.
| A．community |
| B．racism |
| C．blend of Nations |
| D．Southeast Asia |
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 |
This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.
| A．society |
| B．economy |
| C．racial problems |
| D．history |
Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills （读写能力）With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence （自信心） , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.
Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager. What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Children’s reading difficulties. | B．Advantages of raising dogs. |
| C．Service in a public library. | D．A special reading program. |
Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _______.
| A．dogs are young children’s best friends |
| B．children can play with dogs while reading |
| C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children |
| D．children and dogs understand each other |
By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library_______.
| A．uses dogs to attract children | B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA |
| C．has opened a children's department | D．has decided to train some dogs |
A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _______.
| A．a book used in Saturday classes | B．a book written by the children |
| C．a prize for the children | D．a gift from parent |
Mr. Briggs got a job with an insurance company(保险公司) after he left school and went around visiting people in their homes to sell them life insurance. One day, after he had been working for the company for about a year, the insurance manager sent for him and said, “Mr. Briggs, I have been looking at your record as a salesman with our company, and there is one thing that surprises me about it. Why have you been selling insurance only to people over 95 years old, and why have you been giving them such generous（宽厚的）conditions? You’ll ruin our company if you go on like that.”
“Oh, no, sir,” answered Mr. Briggs at once, “Before I started work, I looked at the figures(数字) for deaths in this country during the past ten years, and I can tell you that few people die at the age of 95.” Before he worked in an insurance company, what was Mr. Briggs?______.
| A．He was a worker. | B．He was an official. |
| C．He was a student. | D．He was a businessman. |
The word “ruin” in the second paragraph means .
| A．lose | B．break | C．leave | D．destroy |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Mr. Briggs had studied the figures for deaths for several years. |
| B．Mr. Briggs began to look at the figures after he started work. |
| C．A great number of very old people die every year. |
| D．The number of the very old people who died every year is small. |
Bean and other seed shoots are also known as sprouts (新芽). The dry bean seeds contain a store of nutrients just waiting to be released when they sprout. Under the right conditions they will germinate (发芽)。 As they grow, the food value of the seeds is multiplied into vitamins, minerals (矿物质) and other nutrients. This happens almost overnight!
It is easy to grow your own sprouts, but you need to buy your seeds from supermarkets or health food stores. Seeds for planting in the garden are often powdered with chemicals, so when becoming sprouts they are not safe to eat.
Try growing sprouts from a variety of beans and seeds. You will find different sprouts at different stages. Bean sprouts are best when they are about three centimeters long. Wheat and sunflower sprouts taste best when the sprouts and the seeds are of the same length. If the sunflower sprout is too long it leaves a funny stinging feeling in the throat after eating. Alfalfa sprouts are best when their small leaves are well developed. Pea and soybean sprouts are good long or short.
If you leave your sprouts in filtered sunlight for a few hours, the leaves will turn green as chlorophyll (叶绿素) is added. Eating sprouts with green leaves benefits your blood, cells, and the digestive system. Which of the following sprouts taste good whether they are long or short?
| A．Soybean sprouts | B．Sunflower sprouts |
| C．Alfalfa sprouts | D．Wheat sprouts |
As sprouts grow, the food value of the seeds will_____.
| A．increase | B．decrease | C．remain the same | D．lose |
From the passage we know that______.
| A．Long sunflower sprouts taste better than short ones |
| B．Eating too long sunflower sprouts will make you feel uncomfortable in the throat |
| C．Eating sprouts with green leaves will be harmful to your health |
| D．It takes a long time for the food value of the seeds to multiply |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Sprouts of seeds for planting in the garden may not be safe to eat. |
| B．Alfalfa sprouts taste best when their small leaves are more fully grown. |
| C．All sprouts taste best during the early stage of their growth. |
| D．Sunlight will make the leaves of sprouts green. |
It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself. There is one particular story that he always told with great delight.
In his early days as a lawyer, Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal(法律的)cases. During one of these trips, he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him. The stranger looked at the tall clumsy(笨拙的)lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonging to Lincoln. Lincoln was a bit puzzled. He had never seen the man before. He didn’t see how a total stranger could have something of his. Lincoln asked how this could be. The stranger pulled out a penknife and began to explain. Many years before, he had been given the pocketknife. He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself.
Lincoln’s eyes always sparked when he reached this part of the story. The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it. The tale itself was funny. But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself.This passage is about.
| A．a stranger and his strange knife |
| B．Lincoln’s favorite story |
| C．meeting stranger in a train |
| D．Lincoln’s favorite penknife |
From the story we can infer that the stranger in the train
| A．liked to make friends | B．liked to tell jokes |
| C．collected penknives | D．was not handsome |
Lincoln was given the pocketknife for
| A．his appearance | B．a good laugh |
| C．being a lawyer | D．being good-humored |
Which of the following statements is right?
| A．Lincoln, even though great, was not proud. |
| B．Lincoln was a great and proud man. |
| C．Lincoln lacked self-respect. |
| D．Lincoln had a good sense of humor. |
What does the word “sparked” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．闪耀 | B．暗淡 | C．无神 | D．忧伤 |
A new law helps people with disabilities. The law says that people with disabilities must be able to get into and out of all public buildings. It also says that business must offer special services to people who have special needs. Companies can not refuse to hire disabled workers. Many businesses may have to change their buildings and services.
—Ramps (坡道) must be built so people can get into buildings.
—Movie theatres must have space for people in wheelchairs and seats for their friends to sit near them.
—Elevators (电梯) must have floor number in Braille.
This law will help millions of people. One woman who has been in a wheelchair for many years said,“It is like a dream.”According to the passage we can see that.
| A．it will be difficult for the normal persons to get into the public buildings |
| B．the buildings of all the businesses will have to be changed |
| C．Most businesses used to offer special services to people who have special needs |
| D．it was difficult for the disabled workers to find jobs in the past |
Ramps can help people.
| A．with hearing problems |
| B．who have difficulty in using their hands |
| C．who have difficulty in using their legs or feet |
| D．who don’t like stairs |
The fact that the new law has been passed shows that______.
| A．the government has paid no attention to the disabilities |
| B．the government wants to help these disabilities |
| C．normal people show mercy to the disabilities |
| D．companies will hire millions of disabled people |