To most people, noise pollution is a jet flying over their head. For one Spanish woman, it is a neighbor playing the piano. The woman has taken her neighbor to court. Now she wants to send her neighbor to prison for over seven years on the charges of psychological damage and noise pollution.
In a country known for its noisiness, the case has raised eyebrows. Neighbors often complain about street noise in Spain, but people seeking prison time for someone practicing the piano is unheard of. At the trial, Sonia Bosom says she has been suffering noise pollution up to now due to the practice sessions of Laia Martin, who lives below her. Martin, 27, didn’t admit that she played at home that often, saying she took regular classes in other towns and mostly practiced at home on the weekends.
On the first day of the trial, the newspaper reported that Bosom told the court she now hated pianos so much that she couldn’t even stand seeing them in a film.
Bosom says years of hearing constant playing has caused her “psychological injury”. Medical reports show she has suffered from a variety of problems, including insomnia (失眠), anxiety, and panic attacks.
She says tests by local authorities have found that the sound levels made by the piano are up to 10 decibels (分贝) higher than the limit. City authorities have asked the family several times to either stop the piano playing or soundproof (隔音) the room. The family told the court they carried out soundproofing work twice but the complaints continued.
The court hasn’t made a final decision. A spokeswoman says the trial will end before May.Bosom wants to send Martin to prison because _______.
| A．Martin’s playing the piano damaged her health |
| B．Bosom suffered from heart attack |
| C．Martin refused to take regular classes in other towns |
| D．Martin flew a jet over her head |
How did Laia Martin respond to the complaints?
| A．She stopped playing the piano. |
| B．She soundproofed the room. |
| C．She didn’t admit she played at home. |
| D．She took her neighbor to court. |
Which of the following may probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．A 7-year Sentence Caused by the Piano |
| B．Pianist Charged with Noise Pollution |
| C．Health Problems of a Spanish Woman |
| D．Actions Against Noise by Local Authority |
“Have you ever heard the old saying, “Never judge(判断)a book by its cover”? This is a good rule to follow when you try to judge the cleverness of others by their looks and performance. Some people have minds that shine only in certain situations. A young man with an unusual gift(天赋)in novel writing may find himself speechless before a pretty girl. But don’t make the mistake of thinking he might not be that clever. With a pen and paper, he can tell what he thought very well.
Other people may fool you into mistakenly thinking they are clever by putting up a good front.
A student who listens carefully and takes notes in class is sure to make a good impression(印象)on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may get scores much lower than his classmates.
We may conclude that: you can’t judge someone by appearances. The only way to tell whether a person is clever or not is to get to know him by observing(观察) how he reacts to(反映)different situations. The more situations you observe, the more accurate(准确的)your judgement is likely to be. So take your time. Don’t judge the book by its cover.The best title for this passage is___________________________
| A．Judging cleverness |
| B．Choosing a book |
| C．A speechless young man |
| D．Putting up a good front |
The main idea of the passage is ___________________
| A．don’t judge a book by its cover |
| B．don’t judge a person’s cleverness by appearance |
| C．people may fool you by putting up a good front |
| D．make sure you know someone well before observing him |
The young man mentioned in the passage________________.
| A．is stupid | B．is a good student |
| C．is a good writer | D．is successful with girls |
According to the passage, true knowledge of a person’s cleverness comes from_____________.
| A．the grades he gets in school |
| B．his manners at parties |
| C．his outward appearance |
| D．how he behaves in different situations |
Thepassage suggests that in judging a person’s intelligence we should_____________.
| A．make quick judgements |
| B．be creative |
| C．have patience and be careful |
| D．give him a test |
Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting at the station. Some were standing in line, others were walking around. A teacher was trying to keep a group of schoolgirls in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.
He walked into the station cafe. He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror(镜子) on the wall. Just then, Peter, one of Tom's workmates came in and sat with Tom. "What time is your bus?" asked Peter. "There is a lot of time yet." answered Tom. "Well, I'll get you some more tea then." They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. "Oh! It's going backward(反方向的)!" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven." "You are looking at the clock in the mirror." said Peter. Tom was so sad. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.Tom went into the station caf ? Because _____.
| A．Peter asked him to have a cup of tea |
| B．it was quite early and he could find a seat there |
| C．he didn't like to stay with the schoolgirls |
| D．he wanted to have a drink with his workmate there |
What time was it in fact when Tom looked at the clock in the mirror the last time?
| A．Half past twelve | B．Twenty to twelve |
| C．Half past eleven | D．Half past one |
From the story we know that when we look at a clock in a mirror, we will find _____.
| A．the time is right | B．it's going slower |
| C．it's going backward | D．it's going faster |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Tom arrived in Paris on time |
| B．The next bus would leave in half an hour |
| C．After that Tom didn't like clocks any longer |
| D．Tom looked at the clock in the mirror only once |
Which of the following is the best title for the story?
| A．The Mirror of the Station |
| B．Not a Careful Man |
| C．Missing a bus |
| D．The Man and the Mirror |
It is not easy to reach Panjiayu, a village in the countryside around Thangshan, Hebei province. To get to the isolated village, visitors first have to take a bus ride of about an hour to the Fengrun district before taking a long-distance bus, which usually runs five times a day.
Surrounded by mountains and bathed in plentiful sunlight, Panjiayu is nicknamed “Turpan”, after the city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that is famous for its sweet grapes.
The fruit is the Panjiayuy’s main money spinner(摇钱树) ------ the courtyard of almost every home boasts at least one grape trellis(棚架), and the main road is enlaced(围绕) by vines.
Last year, about 200,000 tourists from nearby cities visited Panjiayu. Even so, the place has retained its traditional feel. When night falls, except for a few road lamps that send out a dim light, the village is shrouded(覆盖) in darkness, the silence only broken by the occasional bark of a dog.
So why does this village of just 1,500 residents attract so many visitors? Grapes are only part of the reason; most of the tourists visit to commemorate a massacre(大屠杀) that happened 73 years ago. The modern building that seems so at odds with the traditional feel of the place is a memorial to the events of Jan 25, 1941, two days before Lunar New Year, when the Japanese army carried out a frenzied(疯狂的) slaughter of unarmed villagers.
“About 1,298 of the 1,700 villagers were murdered. Of the survivors, 273 were not in the village that day, and although nearly 200 others survived, 98 of them were badly injured,” said Pan Ruishen, the leader of the Panjiayu compensation(补偿) Team for Japanese Atrocities(暴行).
Panjiayu was just one of many massacres committed by the Japanese during the occupation of China before and during World War II, however, it is now a patriotism-education base because the village is full of sites of historical interest, such as the big lotus tree, whose hollow trunk was used to hide secret files of the Eighth Route Army, and the metal doors at the village entrance, which are scarred with countless white marks left by Japanese bayonets(刺刀).Where can you most probably read the text?
| A．In a telephone book. |
| B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a travel guide. |
| D．In a textbook. |
What does the underlined phrase “at odds” in the fifth paragraph mean?
| A．attractive | B．original |
| C．contradictory | D．conventional |
What can we know about Panjiayu from the text?
| A．It is an isolated village with a long history in Hunan province. |
| B．Many tourists visited Panjiayu last year despite the fact that the place hasn’t kept its traditional feel. |
| C．Panjiayu is viewed as a patriotism-education base in view of its historical events and many sites of historical interest . |
| D．All the residents were slaughtered by the Japanese during the occupation of China before World War II. |
It was Mother’s Day morning last year and I was doing shopping at our local supermarket with my five-year-old son, Tenyson. As we were leaving, we found that only minutes earlier an elderly woman had fallen over at the entrance and had hit her head on the concrete. Her husband was with her, but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock.
Walking towards the scene, Tenyson became very upset about what had happened to the couple. He said to me, “Mum, it’s not much fun falling over in front of everyone.”
At the front of the supermarket, a charity group had set up a stand selling cooked sausages and flowers to raise funds. Tenyson suggested that we should buy the lady a flower. “It will make her feel better,” he said. I was amazed that he’d come up with this sweet idea. So we went over to the flower seller and asked her if we could buy a flower for the lady to cheer her up. “Just take it,” he replied. “I can’t take your money for such a wonderful gesture.”
By now paramedics(急救人员) had arrived, and were attending to the injured woman. As we walked up to her, my son became intimidated by all the blood and medical equipment. He said he was just too scared to go up to her.
Instead, I gave the flower to the woman’s husband and told him, “My son was very upset for your wife and wanted to give her this flower to make her feel better.”
At that, the old man started crying and said, “Thank you so much, you have a wonderful son. Happy Mother’s Day to you.”
The man then bent down and gave his wife the flower, telling her who it was from. Though badly hurt and shaken, the old lady looked up at Tenyson with love in her eyes and gave him a little smile.1What does the author intend to tell us?
| A．One can never be too careful. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Love begins with a little smile. |
| D．A small act of kindness brings a great joy. |
The underlined word “intimidated” in the fourth paragraph probably means “____”.
| A．astonished | B．struck |
| C．frightened | D．excited |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The elderly woman was knocked down by Tenyson. |
| B．Tenyson’s care for the elderly woman puzzled the flower seller. |
| C．Tenyson’s idea of buying a flower gained his mother’s support. |
| D．The elderly woman was moved to tears by Tenyson’s gesture. |
Which best describes the writer’s attitude in the passage?
| A．Approving | B．Hopeless |
| C．Doubtful | D．Pessimistic |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Mother’s Day |
| B．Flower Power |
| C．An Accidental Injury |
| D．An Embarrassing Moment |
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With help from a Mr. H, you can _____.
A. Stop using batteries
B. Finish your homework on time
C. Remember your teachers’ instructions
D. Get your room tidied on your way home.
A. repair your TV B. organize your homework
C. be a James Bond D. know what the weather is likeA PENGO WATCH CONTROL can help you to _____.
You can get your Mr. H for ______.
| A．$499 | B．$299 | C．$199 | D．$99 |
Where would you be most likely to find the two texts?
| A．On a notice board. |
| B．In a company brochure. |
| C．On a teenage website. |
| D．In a college newspaper. |