It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the " Bullet Train". Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went "on line" in 1964，The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of132 mph.
The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the TGV ( Train a Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974，the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991，Japan's Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country.
China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all，89 such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010. It was __________ that helped promote rapid economic growth in 30 years in Japan.
| A．manufacturers |
| B．ordinary trains |
| C．Internet |
| D．convenient transportation means |
France introduced high speed trains to __________.
| A．increase the number of passengers |
| B．fight against Opec |
| C．develop the finance of France |
| D．connect other cities |
Which of the following advantage (s) belongs to bullet train?
| A．Speedy and energy-wasting， |
| B．Slow but secure. |
| C．Fast and safe. |
| D．Crowded and expensive. |
What is the feature of the China's currently fastest train?
| A．It is the most advanced train in the world. |
| B．It can run faster than any other trains throughout the world. |
| C．It can produce electricity by energy transformation. |
| D．It can go into commercial operation. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Bullet trains are the most convenient means of transportation compared with others. |
| B．Bullet trains are the only key to developing the economy of a country. |
| C．Bullet trains can save time and energy for people. |
| D．Bullet trains have many advantages and are accepted by more and more countries. |
For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas (地区). Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.
There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, golden Delicious, and McIntosh.
Apples are different in colour, size, and taste. The colour of the skin may be red, green, or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart (酸的). Generally, sweet apples are eaten fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce (苹果酱).
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve metres. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree. It can be learned from the text that delicious apples are _______________
| A．grown in France. | B．sold everywhere. | C．very big. | D．quite sweet. |
Cold winter weather is good for _______________
| A．the growth of apple trees. | B．producing large apples. |
| C．improving the taste of apples. | D．the increase of water in apples. |
China, France and the United States are considered to _______________
| A．be large producers of apples. | B．be large producers of applesauce. |
| C．have the longest history in apple production. | |
| D．have the coldest winter among apple producing countries. |
It’s not the first movie to show the end of the world. But in the latest box office hit 2012 it is neither aliens nor a killer disease that threaten the human race, but climate change.
Some say the film lacks good dialogue and its science is questionable， others believe German director Roland Emmerich makes up for these flaws in special effects. An earthquake destroys the White House and Yellow stone National Park ends up in flames．
Emmerich borrows from the old Mayan(玛雅人的) story which says, that the world will end in 2012．He is being criticized for fuelling Internet rumors(传闻) about doomsday(世界末日)
“There is no factual basis for these claims,’’ NASA said on its website. “Credible(可信赖的) scientists worldwide know of no threat connected with 2012,’’ it insisted. “After all, our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, ” they added．
According to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, it was first thought that the disaster would happen in May 2003. When the world continued, supporters picked the last day of the Mayan calendar．
“Every culture has a myth(传说) of destruction(毁灭), just as they have a myth of creation. These myths |of destruction tend to surface(重新出现) during times of crisis(危机), ” Michael A. Ryan, an assistant profess of history，speaking to Purdue University News. Ryan studies apocalyptic(像世界末日的) themes from the Middle Ages at the US university. “Today’s current economic climate is a state of crisis for many people who are worried whether they can afford to feed themselves,”he added. What led to the end of the world according to the film 2012?
| A．Aliens． | B．The human race． | C．Climate change． | D．A killer disease． |
What does the underlined word “fuelling’’ in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．Making sth. stronger．． | B．Putting gas into a car． |
| C．Producing power or heat． | D．Burning |
Which of the following statements about the film 2012 is TRUE according to the text?
| A．A big fire destroys Yellow-stone National Park． |
| B．All scientists in the world know of no threat connected with 2012． |
| C． The old Mayan story says that the world will end in |
| D．Every culture has a myth of destruction rather than creation |
Why do the rumors about doomsday come about now and then?
| A．Because during times of crisis, people tend to worry about their future． |
| B．Because aliens often threaten the human race． |
| C．Because killer diseases happen at times． |
| D． Because the old Mayan story says that the world will |
“I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest
The “I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest was developed in l993．It aims to educate your students and their families about neighborhood pride and duty．Lessons and activities are provided in a teacher’s guide．Students can learn about the sources of litter and pollution prevention．
RULES
All children in primary schools are invited to submit(提交) one piece of work. The Winning posters will be reproduced and handed out throughout the neighborhood．
◆Students are encouraged to bravely use different colors and to be as creative as possible! It is up to the student and you to decide which art tool to use such as crayons. Color pencils are not advised because they do not reproduce well．
◆The topic, “I am part of my neighborhood!” must be included in the design of each poster. The Committee requires that students include their
mascot(吉祥物) in each poster.
◆All work must be on normal-sized paper for winning posters reproduction purposes. Over-sized posters will have no chance of taking part in the final competition．
◆All work submitted must be the child’s own work．Your students can be guided by you or their parents; we simply want to avoid poster not drawn by themselves．
◆Please review each poster before submitting．
Each work to be submitted must include the student’s name, grade level，your name and school name on the BACK of each poster．
For more information or questions about the 2012 “I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest, contact(联系) Jaixen Webb at (818) 551-6933 or jwebb@ci.glendale. ca.us． ’We can learn from Paragraph l that the contest ______.
| A．has a history of more than 20 years |
| B．offers kids activities organized by parents |
| C．aims to protect the environment by the power of art |
| D．hopes kids can feel proud of their neighborhood |
To win the contest, students must _____.
| A．use different-sized Paper | B．design a mascot for the contest |
| C．avoid using crayons and color pencils | D．draw the posters by themselves |
The text is mainly written for ______.
| A．students | B．neighborhood committees | C．teachers | D．parents |
Australians have been warned they face a life or death decision over their water —— drink recycled sewage(污水) or die.
With the drought(干旱) continuing, the country is set to be forced to use purified waste water for drinking, even if there is great opposition to the measure
Queensland has become the first state to introduce the policy after a warning from its premier.
“I think in the end, because of the drought, all of Australia is going to end up drinking recycled purified water,” said former Premier Peter Beattie. “These are difficult decisions, but you either drink water or you die. There’s no choice. It's liquid gold; it a matter of life and death.”
Beattie said Australia's second largest state would become the first to use recycled water for drinking．
Water is recycled in Britain and parts of northern Europe along with the US and Israel．
But Australians have never liked the idea．
To try to change the way Australians think, John Howard and Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull have Supported Queensland’s move.
“I am very strongly for recycling and Mr Beattie is right and I agree with him completely,” Howard said．
“Australian cities, all now facing water shortages because of the worst drought on record, must start to use recycled water,” added Turnbull. “All of our big cities have to widen the range of water sources to include sources which are not dependent on rainfall.”What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Australians face the choice of life and death． |
| B．Continuing drought forces Australians to drink recycled sewage． |
| C．Mr Beattie is worried about his people’s health． |
| D．We should avoid drinking recycled water to keep healthy． |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The drought is the worst one in the droughts recorded in Australian history． |
| B．Australia’s largest state has become the first state to introduce the policy． |
| C．No other countries but Australia decides to drink recycled water． |
| D．Nobody disagrees to the idea of drinking recycled purified water． |
It can be inferred from what Peter Beattie said that_________.
| A．he gives orders to drink purified waste water. |
| B．if the decision is made, people won't survive the drought |
| C．it is painful for him to see his people drink recycled sewage |
| D．it's up to you to make a life or death decision |
I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering(餐饮) service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state-owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well-developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand-talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign-trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It's hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?
| A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service. |
| B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains. |
| C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic. |
| D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness. |
Which of the following scenes is NOT considered as lack of creation?
| A．Papers were often downloaded from the Internet. |
| B．Students often said that copying is a preferable business strategy. |
| C．Students combine knowledge and critical thoughts to solve a problem. |
| D．Case study debates were written up as well as recited. |
The underlined word “scheme” in the forth paragraph means__________.
| A．timetable | B．theme | C．project | D．policy |
We can infer from the passage that ___________.
| A．China can make and sell any product all over the world |
| B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
| C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
| D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Look for a New Way of Learning | B．Reward Creative Thinking |
| C．How to Become a Creator | D．Establish a technical Environment |